Advantage: How To Beat Sciatica In 4 Steps

NEWSLETTER May 2019

Discussing Ways to Beat Sciatica

INSIDE: Staff Spotlight

Everhave thatachingpain fromyourback into your buttock, or even down the back of your thigh? This could be sciatica, a broad termused todescriberadiatingpain, numbness or tingling symptoms into the legs. The sciatic nerve stems from your lumbar spine and travels deep through the buttock, down the back of the thigh. Sciatica is very common, because of the amount of sitting we now do in our daily lives. This drastically affects the strain on yourspine,hipandpelvicmuscles, irritating the sciatic nerve. Do you ever feel like it is a challenge to get moving in the morning, or are you now careful about the way you bend down to pick something up? This is a clear sign that your spine is not functioning the way it should. The good news is that you can dramatically improve the way you feel and eliminate that sciatic pain or back pain for good! Physical therapy exercises incorporating a combination of strengthening, stretching, and aerobic conditioning are a central component of almost any sciatica treatment plan. Whenpatientsengage inaregularprogram ofgentleexercises, theycan recovermore quicklyfromsciaticapainandare less likely to have future episodes of pain. Sciatica exercisesusually focuson threekeyareas: strengthening, stretching, and aerobic conditioning. Strengtheningexercises. Manyexercises canhelpstrengthen thespinalcolumnand the supporting muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Most of these back exercises focus not only on the lower back, but also the abdominal (stomach) muscles and gluteus (buttock) and hip muscles. Strongcoremusclescanprovidepainrelief because theysupport thespine,keeping it

in alignment and facilitating movements that extend or twist the spine with less chance of injury or damage. Stretchingexercises. Stretching isusually recommended to alleviate sciatic pain. Stretchesforsciaticaaredesignedtotarget muscles that cause pain when they are tight and inflexible. Hamstring stretching is almost always an important part of a sciatica exercise program.Mostpeopledonotstretch these muscles, which extend from the pelvis to the knee in the back of the thigh, in their daily activities. Another stretch that is often helpful in easingsciatica is theBirdDogmove:After gettingontheirhandsandknees, individuals extend one arm and the opposite leg. The armand legextensionsarethenalternated. A more advanced version of this exercise is the Plank Bird Dog move, in which the extensions are done once the person is in theplankpositionon theirhandsand toes. Low-impactaerobicexercise. Some form of low-impactcardiovascularexercise,such as walking, swimming, or pool therapy is usuallyacomponentofrecovery,asaerobic activityencourages theexchangeoffluids andnutrientstohelpcreateabetterhealing environment. Aerobic conditioning also has the unique benefitof releasingendorphins, thebody’s natural pain killers, which helps reduce sciatic pain. These types of exercise may be done separately or in combination. If you are suffering from sciatica pain and need treatment, contact us to schedule an appointment and return to a pain free, active lifestyle.

How to Beat Sciatica in 4 Easy Steps

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