Across America people suffer from lower back pain. I hear about it all the time in Oviedo, FL. It describes the pain, numbness or tingling that starts in the lower back and can run all the way down to the foot. It’s caused by compressing the sciatic nerve, the body’s longest nerve. Once it’s compressed or irritated, it continues to create the problem until there’s relieve. I often get questions about the safety of exercise with sciatica. In most cases, it is safe and should be done. However, you should always follow the directions of your health care professional when it comes to exercising.
The causes of sciatica and type of exercise determine whether exercise is best.
Sciatica can come from a sacroiliac joint that’s misaligned, a tight piriformis muscle, herniated disc or spinal stenosis. In most cases, keeping the muscles look can improve the condition and relieve the pain. The more active you are, within reason, the more relaxed your muscles. However, some types of movements can aggravate the condition. Things like high impact activities, such as running and jumping, or activities that involve twisting the torso, squatting, bending forward with legs straight or leg lift style movements can make your back pain worse.
Exercises that can actually speed healing.
Sciatica can often get better with time, but for many, exercise can boost that recovery. It’s all about increasing exercise gradually and paying close attention to the pain or other symptoms. In other words, let your sciatica be your guide. These types of exercises should always be low impact and involve gentle stretching, which can help loosen muscles in the legs and lower back. Often abdominal muscles are weak, which forces the back muscles to do double duty, another reason for spasms and pain. Strengthening the abs is another way exercise helps relieve pain.
Talk to one of our trainers who will help with a recovery plan.
At BioFit Performance, we offer recovery service that extend beyond a plan of exercise. They include an on-site physical therapist, massage therapist, chiropractor and stretch therapist to help guide you and equipment to bring relief, such as the cold and hot plunge, infra-red sauna and compression boots. A personal trainer can guide you with a program of low-impact activities, such as a warm-up riding a stationary bike. Only once your muscles are warmed and loose, will the trainer guide you through exercises that build core muscle strength, like the pelvic tilt and bridge or a modified plank.
- Part of every exercise routine for sciatica should include gentle stretches. A personal trainer will help you with the proper form to ensure it helps rather than hinders your healing.
- Touching your toes while keeping your back straight isn’t a stretch that’s good for sciatica and can slow the progress of recovery. Instead, consider ones like the single or double knee-to-chest stretch or supine hamstring stretch.
- Straight leg sit-ups and double leg lifts should be avoided if you have sciatica. They can put undo tension on the sciatic nerve and even cause disc injury.
- If you have back pain, we welcome you to visit BioFit Performance and inspect all the options we offer for recovery. We offer a free consultation and a chance to learn how to get fit and free from pain.
For more information, contact us today at BioFit Performance