“How can get my sciatic nerve to stop hurting?”

For your problem, it depends on several factors. How long has it been ongoing? How did it come about? Is this the first time or has it reared its angry head before? Sciatic nerve pain comes from irritation of the biggest nerve in your body. As the nerves leave the spinal canal in the lower back, if they are impeded by the bones of your lower back or the soft tissues around the small joints in the lower back, then they will become irritated and painful. This can be sharp, shooting pain down the leg through the buttocks, or sometimes can be feelings of numbness, tingling, burning, or cramping.
Overcoming the acute inflammation is the first step to alleviation of sciatica. This can be achieved with physical therapy, rest, heating pad, anti-inflammatory medication and topical creams and ointments. Once the pain subsides, in order to diminish the potential to have it again (or with the same severity), there are several things I can recommend. Keeping your abdomen trim and strong is the best long-term solution. Being mindful of the way you lift, carry and twist will also lessen the forces across your lower back.
I hope this helps.

Sciatica is not a diagnosis and can be a symptom of a few different low back injuries, meaning there are a few different conditions that can cause it. To treat sciatica you must first find out what in the low back is causing the sciatic nerve pain.