10. Hot/Cold Therapy
Hot and cold packs can provide more pain relief than you might think. Heat therapy stimulates blood flow with healing properties to the area, and also works by blocking some of the pain signals from reaching the brain.
Cold therapy significantly reduces inflammation and acts as a temporary local anesthetic. For best results, alternate hot and cold packs on the part of your back that hurts. Try not to leave the packs on for more than 15 minutes at a time (each).
11. Focus on Your Hamstrings
In addition to performing back stretches, make sure to stretch out your hamstrings daily. Your hamstrings are large, powerful muscles that exert a lot of force on your pelvis and lower back. (7)
Lower back and sciatic nerve pain are hallmark signs of tight hamstrings. Watch this video on proper hamstring stretches and you should start seeing results very quickly.
