Inflammation of the sciatic nerve can send pain shooting down the length of the nerve, causing discomfort to spread across your lower back, buttocks and legs. This type of disorder not only causes distress, it can also inhibit movement in your lower limbs, hindering overall mobility by discouraging the use of muscles in the affected area. Use a combination of stretching and exercise to help lessen sciatic nerve pain while increasing flexibility and improving muscle tone.
Causes of Sciatic Pain
According to Spine Health, sciatic pain or sciatica is not truly a disease or disorder. The term is used to describe any type of general discomfort caused by the inflammation or compression of the nerves in the lower portion of the spinal cord; odds are good they are part of the large sciatic nerve. This pain has many causes. For example, the piriformis muscle, located in the hip, could become irritated from overuse. This would lead to swelling and tightness in the hip area. The inflamed muscle would put pressure on the sciatic nerve, sending pain radiating through the buttocks and down the back of the leg. Alternatively, sciatic nerve pain can be caused by bulging or herniated discs in the spine. When the discs are extended farther than usual, the change in position can compress the sciatic nerve. Additionally, sciatic pain can be triggered by arthritis, which narrows nerve passageways, pinching the tender tissues.
The Effects of Exercise
While many people who suffer from sciatic pain would prefer to rest and allow the pain to dissipate on its own, inactivity may actually aggravate the condition. The lack of muscle movement leads to weakening of the supporting spinal structures and further reduces flexibility in the affected area. Exercise, on the other hand, can be used to stretch the muscles surrounding the hip, improving tissue elasticity and loosening the muscles of the lower back, buttocks and legs. This, in turn, can alleviate the pressure on the spine and help to reduce sciatic pain.
Types of Exercises
Exercises for treating sciatic pain tend to focus on stretching and strengthening the muscles of the abdomen, back and legs, particularly the hamstrings. Extending and conditioning the muscles not only helps to provide immediate pain relief, it helps to prevent future recurrences. One common exercise for relieving sciatic nerve pain is the press-up. When properly preformed, it stretches the spine and moves the muscles of the lower extremities upward, lessening the pressure on the lower back. To tone the abdomen, try performing curl-ups or crunches. Additionally, you can try leg lifts or simply walking in waist-deep water. Yoga exercises such as the boat, pigeon or locust pose can also be effective in treating sciatic pain, as can hurdler stretches, double leg stretches or forward folds. For the best results, use a variety or exercises to target different muscle groups.
Correct Form
To successfully minimize sciatic pain with exercise, maintain proper form. Carry out each exercise slowly, concentrating on stretching and working the target muscles. Rushing through exercises will not only be ineffective, it could actually lead to an increase in your level of physical discomfort. If you're not confident in your ability to perform an exercise or are unsure how to correctly execute it, then skip it rather than take a chance on making your condition worse. If all else fails, walking is an excellent form of exercise, and when done on a regular basis, it can effectively condition and strengthen the muscles of the lower back, helping to alleviate sciatic pain.
Warning
Before beginning any exercise program, consult a licensed health care professional. Not only will this help you to tailor your exercise program to address the specific cause of your sciatic pain, it will ensure you don't have a more serious underlying condition. Corrective exercises will differ as sciatica can be caused by a wide variety of factors. Doing the wrong exercise can aggravate your condition rather than improve it, making it important to receive an accurate diagnosis prior to starting self-treatment.
