I have degenerative lower discs and the result is often sciatic pain. Short term aid: put a pillow under one leg when you sit (you'll know which one, the relief is pretty immediate). When my sciatica is really bad, sitting is impossible without doing that. Bad flare ups, usually brought on by moving wrong or overuse, require meds for 7-10 days. But I went from taking Nsaids almost daily for well over a year to hardly needing them by taking Celadrin (Costco has it online). I had no idea if it was a "real" solution or another placebo type of alternative, but when you are hurting, you will try anything, period. It works for me, amazingly well. I stopped a couple times for a few weeks just to see if I was imagining it, and the difference was remarkable. My stomach has thanked me. YMMV.

Riding my bike seems to actually help my sciatica inflammation - because I have my bike set up to lean forward and stretch out my back just the right amount. Sitting more upright aggravates and inflames the nerve. It's the opposite of what I thought but after a bike fit, getting the amount of lean and stretch right, it was fantastic. A big part of it is getting the hip aligned properly so it's not over or under extended.

Also, there are two really good stretches, just go on youtube and look for piriformis stretches, they can make a huge difference. Good luck.