What can I do to ease the pain myself?

You can often manage sciatica with self-care. If it doesn’t resolve after a few weeks, or you’re in a lot of pain, we recommend seeing a consultant. We aim to see you as quickly as possible, especially if you’re in a lot of pain. For self-care, you can:

• carry on with your normal activities, including work, as much as possible – pace yourself and build up, as the nerve can still be sensitive

• ask your consultant to recommend any exercises you could do

• take painkillers such as ibuprofen

• try ice packs in the first few days if you have swelling – always wrap the ice pack in a towel to prevent ‘ice burns’). Apply cold for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day

• switch to a heating pad or warm compress in 20-minute bursts after a few days if there’s no swelling and your pain isn’t related to a recent injury

• some people find switching between hot and cold packs helps