Exercises You Need To Do To Relieve Sciatica And Get Your Life Back

spinal stenosis

Sciatica is often a misused term amongst non-medical individuals. Sciatica is a collection of symptoms and not a diagnosis. The sciatic nerve is a collection of nerves found in the lower spine. If these nerves become pinched or compressed, they generate pain in associated tissues and organs. These nerves run from the lower part of your back, through the back of each leg continuing down the leg into your foot and toes. Needless to say, pain can be felt anywhere along this route and is referred to sciatic pain. Pain may be concentrated in your back, rear end, back of your thigh, calf, foot and toes. There are many causes of sciatica including herniated discs, spinal stenosis or a number of lower back disorders. If you are not familiar, stenosis refers to a narrowing of the spinal canal, which compresses the nerves contained within. Stenosis can be caused by disc herniation, osteoporosis or even a tumor.

As with other forms of back pain, exercise is the best therapy. Rest is okay for a few days but beyond that will do more harm than good. Make sure you consult your healthcare provider and follow his/her recommendations at all times. Never the less there is a regime of exercises doctors generally prescribe. A sciatica program emphasizes core strength, hamstring stretching and aerobic exercises. Your program will be designed to address the pain areas you have. You will probably be required to start with a physical therapist to ensure you do your exercises properly. After a while, you should be able to do them on your own.

Core Muscle Strength
Core muscle strength is important in that this will strengthen your stomach and back muscles that will help support your back better. Stretching exercises are also important to increase the range of motion of muscles that are experiencing sciatica pain. This brings about more flexibility and will allow for faster recovery and reduce the likelihood of future relapses.

The Exercises to Relieve Sciatica

Hamstring stretches
Hamstring stretching is one of the most important exercises in that no matter what your diagnosis is this exercise benefits everyone who has sciatica pain. Recall that your hamstrings are muscles in the back of your thigh. Whether you have sciatica pain or not, you need to do this exercise. Quite often sciatic pain comes about due to hamstrings that are too tight, which puts undue stress on your lower back to begin with. So, everyone should do hamstring stretching as a part of their regular exercise routine.

Aerobic exercises
Aerobic exercises are also added to the sciatica exercises (core muscle strength and hamstring stretching) for overall body fitness. Don't forget about walking. It has been suggested that walking three miles a day provides all the benefits of aerobic exercises in it own right.

Before you start any exercise regime, make sure to consult with your doctor. He or she will tailor make an exercise program that will includes developing core muscle strength, hamstring stretching and aerobic exercises. You really need to be diagnosed so that the proper exercise program is assigned to you. Taking care of your sciatica is an everyday concern. You need to be careful when lifting objects:-