My doctor diagnosed my back pain as a herniated disc and said it will heal itself, but my back and legs really hurt. How can I ease this pain?

Your doctor is right: About 90% of herniated discs heal themselves within six weeks. The pain you’re experiencing is called sciatica, which occurs when the disc presses on the nerve that runs from your lower back down your legs.

To feel better, try taking 50 mg. of B vitamins daily—a strategy that relieved sciatica pain for 63% of patients within a month in a Russian study. And Finnish scientists found that people with sciatica who kept up with activities like grocery shopping recovered faster with less pain than folks who spent more time relaxing, which lets muscles weaken to worsen pain.

If your pain doesn’t ease in six weeks, ask your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist to help strengthen the muscles of the lower back and core, which will speed healing and prevent future injury.