Sciatica causes mild to severe pain due to the compression of your sciatica nerve – the longest and thickest nerve in your body.
It is a common condition, affecting up to 40% of people and can be triggered by a wide range of health conditions such as herniated disks, osteoarthritis, pregnancy and injuries. Some people recover from sciatica pain within a few weeks to a few months. However, depending on the severity, sciatica pain can last for an entire lifetime, making it a type of chronic pain.
Our brain acts like a smoke alarm, alerting us when something is wrong through the feeling of pain. However, when the alarm has been ringing for a long period of time, our brain's pain center becomes overstimulated. This leads to changes in our brain structure, causing alterations in the way pain is processed and experienced. It can lead to central sensitization, where our brains are overly sensitive to pain signals.
Chronic pain also changes the structure of your brain. It can alter brain areas such as the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex which are responsible for controlling our emotions. This can result in emotional dysregulation where we experience a heightened level of stress, worry and frustration. On top of that, chronic pain also messes with the levels of neurotransmitters in your brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that influence our mood and emotions. Research has found that people living with chronic pain have lower levels of glutamate, a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating thoughts and emotions. This connection between our mind and body also explains why two people diagnosed with the same condition can have very different experiences.
A Vicious Cycle
Pain’s drastic changes in our brain's chemistry creates a cycle of pain and distress that can prove hard to break. The stress we experience from sciatica pain can cause sciatica flare-ups which in turn intensify the negative feelings – fueling a vicious cycle of pain and distress. Muscle tension from stress and anxiety puts pressure on your sciatica nerve. High levels of distress cause your body to produce an excess of hormones that trigger inflammation, further compressing your sciatica nerve and worsening pain. The experience of sciatica pain is very real, and it is understandable why it has affected your mental health. But the good news is, there are ways to cope with the mental distress!
Coping with Sciatica Pain
If you are someone dealing with sciatica pain, know that you are not alone. There are ways we can manage the emotional burden of sciatica pain. Some strategies include:
1. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Since tensed muscles from feeling high levels of stress and anxiety can exacerbate sciatica pain, we can practice muscle relaxation to promote calm and stress-relief. First, tense up a specific muscle group in your body and notice what the tension feels like. Then, release the tension slowly, paying attention to what this feels like in your body. Move through your body, repeating these two steps.
2. Cognitive Restructuring
The mind-body connection shows how our thoughts impact our physical body. Practicing self-awareness, we can identify any thoughts that may be causing these negative feelings and reframe them in a more positive and empathetic light.
A negative thought may look like:
“My pain makes me unable to do anything”
Instead, we can restructure it in a more compassionate and positive manner:
“Sciatica pain is hard, and my life may look different now. However, there are still things I can do, and I can find ways to manage it.”
Taking control of our negative thoughts can reduce the physical impacts of distressing emotions on our body.
3. Gentle Exercise
Moving your body encourages the release of the chemical endorphin – which acts as a natural painkiller and improves mood. However, it is important to engage in activity levels that are suitable for your body. It is essential the exercise is done correctly and at an appropriate leve of intensity to prevent further injury to your sciatica nerve.
These are all steps we can take to manage the distressing emotions that come with living with sciatica pain. However, if these methods are insufficient to help manage your difficult emotions, it is crucial to seek professional guidance. Our clinical psychologists at Annabelle Psychology are here to provide a safe space for you to find the best ways to cope with the stress that comes with sciatica pain. Should you have any inquiries, please feel free to contact us and find out more!