Why your sciatica gets worse when you drive a car

Why your sciatica gets worse when you drive a car

I’ll never forget the rainy Tuesday I had to pull onto the shoulder of I-80 because my right leg was screaming at me. It wasn’t a cramp. It was that unmistakable, white-hot lightning of sciatica. I was only twenty minutes into my commute, yet I felt like I’d been tortured. For months, I tried to … Read more

Why your middle back burns after a day of gardening

Last Saturday, I found myself face-down on the living room rug, clutching a cold pack to my spine. I’d spent the morning tackling a particularly stubborn patch of creeping Charlie, and while my flower beds looked pristine, my body felt like a total wreck. It’s that specific, searing heat—that middle-back burn—that makes you feel twenty … Read more

How to manage a flare-up of lower back pain at work

How to manage a flare-up of lower back pain at work

I was mid-sentence in a high-stakes meeting when my lower back decided to stage a violent protest. A sharp, white-hot zip shot across my pelvis, and suddenly, I was paralyzed in my ergonomic chair. I tried to shift my weight, but my muscles felt like they had been replaced by rusted iron cables. It is … Read more