If you’ve ever experienced a fiery pain shooting down your leg from your lower back, you may be familiar with sciatica. Sciatic pain can feel so severe that it becomes hard — or even impossible — to walk. Sciatica is a condition caused by irritation or compression of the largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve. This nerve starts in the lower back, extends through the hips and buttocks, and continues down each leg. When the sciatic nerve becomes irritated, it can lead to a variety of unpleasant symptoms, including:

• Shooting pain
• Numbness 
• Tingling
• Weakness
• Difficulty standing or walking

Sciatic pain can be caused by several issues, including:

• Poor posture
• Muscle strain or tightness
• Herniated discs
• Piriformis syndrome
• Spinal stenosis
• Pregnancy
• Bone spurs
• Nerve disorders
• Cysts, tumors and other growths

How sciatica can impact your walking ability

Sciatica is relatively common, affecting up to 40% of people during their lifetime. Many people find it surprising how debilitating the pain can be, especially if the sciatic nerve pain gets so bad that walking becomes painful or impossible. 

Here’s how sciatica can affect your walking:

• Pain — The most common symptom of sciatica is pain that can range from a dull ache to a sharp, shooting pain. This pain can get worse with movement, making it uncomfortable to walk. 
• Numbness and weakness — Sciatica can cause numbness and tingling in the affected leg, which can impair your balance and coordination. Weakness in the leg can also make it hard for you to lift your foot or control your leg movements. 
• Altered gait — To avoid pain, you may adopt an altered gait, such as limping or favoring the unaffected leg. This can lead to further muscle imbalances and joint problems. 

If you’re pregnant, the extra weight and changes in your posture can make sciatica even more uncomfortable. The pain can keep you from doing simple tasks, like getting up, moving around and even sleeping comfortably. The good news for those experiencing sciatic nerve pain that’s making it challenging to walk: There are some tips that may help you find relief and walk with better ease.  

13 tips that may help sciatic pain that’s so bad you can’t walk 

If your sciatic pain has reached the point where walking is too hard, you may try these tips to help you find relief:

• Take pain relievers — Nonprescription medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can relieve some sciatic pain, reducing inflammation and discomfort. For more intense pain, your doctor may prescribe stronger medications. These should only be used under medical guidance. 
• Use ice and heat therapy — Using an ice pack on your lower back can help reduce inflammation and numb pain. You can follow up with a heating pad to help relax muscles and ease pain. 
• Try stretching — Gentle stretches that target your lower back, hips and legs can help alleviate tension on your sciatic nerve.
• Go to physical therapy — A physical therapist can work with you to create a personalized plan that may include targeted exercises designed to help strengthen and stabilize your spine, reduce pain and improve movement. 
• Do low-impact activities — Low-impact activities, such as walking, swimming or yoga, can help strengthen your muscles without putting too much strain on your back. 
• Adjust your sleeping position — If your sciatic pain is keeping you up at night, you can try sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees to help relieve pressure on your lower back. 
• Slow down — When you walk, don’t rush. Take small, slow steps, especially if you’re experiencing pain with every step. Try to move carefully and mindfully. 
• Distract yourself — If sciatic pain is making it hard for you to walk, you can try to distract yourself from the pain by listening to music or an audiobook.
• Don’t carry heavy backpacks — Carrying extra weight can make your sciatic pain worse. Try to keep the load in your backpack as light as possible. 
• Wear supportive shoes — Supportive, comfortable shoes can make a big difference. Supportive shoes can help stabilize your lower back while you walk. 
• Seek medical attention — If your sciatic pain continues to linger or gets worse, it’s essential to speak to a health care provider. They can help you explore additional options that can be tailored to your specific condition, especially if you’re experiencing sciatic pain while pregnant. 
• Try steroid injections — For severe cases, your doctor may recommend steroid injections that may provide you with targeted and temporary pain relief by reducing inflammation around the sciatic nerve. 
• Consider surgery — Surgery is typically a last resort, but may be necessary if other conservative treatments aren’t effective and pain is having a significant impact on your quality of life. 

Physical therapy techniques for sciatic pain so bad it makes it hard to walk

Physical therapy is a highly effective way to treat sciatica and can involve a wide range of techniques; it’s also been proven to be safe during pregnancy. A licensed physical therapist can create a customized plan to help relieve your pain and improve mobility using methods such as:

• Manual therapy — Manual therapy encompasses hands-on techniques where your physical therapist uses their hands to manipulate and move the muscles and joints. For example:
• Soft tissue manipulation — Your physical therapist will use their hands to apply varying degrees of pressure to different areas around your lower back, glutes and thighs, especially the piriformis muscle, which can compress the sciatic nerve when tight. 
• Joint mobilization — Your physical therapist will use controlled, rhythmic movements to gently move your joints in small ranges. This method can help reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve by helping realign the joints, making everyday movements like walking or standing less painful. 
• Electrical stimulation — Your physical therapist will place electrode pads on the skin around the painful areas. A controlled, low-level electrical current is passed through the pads, stimulating the muscles beneath them. The current helps reduce muscle spasms and boost blood flow, which can lead to reduced pain and faster recovery. The strength and duration of the stimulation can be adjusted based on your comfort level and specific treatment goals. 
• Aquatic therapy — Aquatic therapy is done in a warm pool, where your physical therapist will guide you through gentle movements and stretches. Since water supports body weight, it minimizes strain on your back and legs. The buoyancy helps reduce pain, and the warmth of the water can relax muscles, improving range of motion and comfort. 
• Therapeutic exercises — Your physical therapist may create an exercise program tailored to your specific needs. These exercises are carefully designed movements that target specific muscle groups to strengthen the core, back and leg muscles, which help stabilize and support the spine. These exercises may include pelvic tiles, leg lifts, bridges and other gentle stretches. 
• Therapeutic ultrasound — Your physical therapist will apply a gel to the affected area, then move a small ultrasound device in slow, circular motions over your lower back, hip or thigh. It uses high-frequency sound waves to create deep heat within the tissue surrounding the sciatic nerve, promoting circulation and reducing pain. It can also help break down scar tissue that may be compressing the sciatic nerve. 

Each of these techniques offers different benefits, and a physical therapist will often combine several approaches into a personalized treatment plan. These methods, done by a licensed physical therapist, can be highly effective in managing sciatic pain when it’s so bad it’s hard to move by improving mobility and helping you regain confidence in your movements. 

Reclaim your life from sciatic pain with expert care at Lattimore Physical Therapy

Dealing with sciatic pain so intense that it hurts to walk can feel overwhelming, but there is hope. From simple at-home strategies like stretching and hot and cold therapy to physical therapy techniques such as manual therapy, joint mobilization and therapeutic exercises, there are many methods to help alleviate pain and improve your quality of life. At Lattimore Physical Therapy, our dedicated team of expert physical therapists understands the challenges of living with sciatic pain, and we offer comprehensive, compassionate care tailored to each patient’s needs. If sciatic pain is affecting your daily life, our specialized physical therapy techniques can help you manage the pain, support your recovery and help you get back to moving confidently. 

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.