SIMPLE SCIATICA SOLUTIONS
Dealing with sciatica?
Maybe its…
Holding you back from exercise so you can lose weight and be healthy…
Slowing you down and preventing you from keeping up with your friends, kids and grandkids…
Making you reliant on painkillers… and you’re not the type of person who likes to take pills….
You’re concerned it’s going to get WORSE.
What if I need surgery?
What if I need an injection?
What if I have to live with this for the rest of my life?
If you’re like Allan (you can see a video of him below), a client of ours, you’ve tried numerous ways to relieve the pain. Ibuprofen, Ice packs,
Massages, and stretches from YouTube.
All of it worked temporarily, but the pain came back every time.
With the help of our team, Allan was able to get rid of sciatica and get back to exercising again.
When Allan went to see his doctor about his sciatica, his doctor did two things that might not surprise you…
Rest and put some ice on it, Allan.
Go to the pharmacy and pick up an anti-inflammatory
Allan was frustrated because: BOTH OF THESE WOULD NOT SOLVE THE ROOT CAUSE OF HIS SCIATICA.
These solutions are a superficial fix that decrease inflammation. But your sciatica pain started because of a long-term, ongoing issue.
Unless of course you have a Glendora Peacock 🦚 that has attached itself to your sciatic nerve. That can be a real downer…
Most sciatica symptoms come from three main issues:
Alignment
Lack of movement
Muscle weakness
BUT, everyone is different. That’s why our doctors of PT have spent decades learning and perfecting their craft. To figure out why YOU have sciatica, we would need to do a quick assessment.
If you’re ready to get started, the best next step is a BodyScreen. The BodyScreen is a 30-minute consulation where we do 3 things:
Assess WHY you have pain
Give a custom exercise that YOU can start doing NOW to find relief
Make a plan going forward as to how we can help you
>>>>>>>>You can sign up for the BodyScreen by clicking HERE and filling out the form.<<<<<<<<
Now onto the Sciatica Solutions…
Alignment
If the wheels on your car are not aligned correctly, what will happen to the tires?
They will wear out! It’s the same with your body. If your pelvic and spine are not aligned, your sciatic nerve can bear the brunt of it.
So let’s get you aligned!
A true check of alignment requires the help of an expert. This is one of the first things we do when we work with folks dealing with sciatica. If you’re dealing with sciatica and looking for relief sign up for a FREE BODY SCREEN by clicking HERE.
To check and address your own alignment at home, see the video below.
2. Lack of movement
Nerves love 3 things. Long walks on the beach, grass fed steaks, and 90’s comedy. Kidding, that’s me…!
But seriously, nerves love…
space…
blood flow…
movement…
21st century life is set up to make us sedentary, sick and fat. We sit while we eat, we sit while we work, we sit while we travel. This is a recipe for disaster for our sciatic nerves!
So get up and move! But the key is.. to move with the right movements without pushing into the pain
Most people think “no pain, no gain,” but in this case we need to be intelligent about our movement.
Walking
One of the simplest ways to get sciatica relief is to go on a walk. Just watch out for those rabid peacocks… Even a slow-paced 5-10 minute walk can be beneficial, since the nature of the movement enhances blood flow! The sciatic nerve, little vampire that it is, LOVES blood flow!
You could even try marching in place for 5 minutes if walking is not an option. Set a timer and go!
Flossin’
Below are 2 movements that I categorized as “very gentle” and “gentle”. Start at the very gentle movement first. I’m ok with the movement being a little painful during, but it should not linger. If you don’t have any lingering pain, move to option 2.
1 - Opposite Leg Nerve Flossing - Very Gentle
Your nerves are all connected - even from one side of the body to the opposite side. By moving the leg opposite of where your sciatica pain is, it can gently move your painful sciatic nerve. Movement = increased blood flow. Pay attention to what is happening with the movement of the knee and the ankle.
2 - Same Leg Sciatic Nerve Flossing
Bending your hip, knee and ankle in specific patterns can significantly improve the mobility of the sciatic nerve - this is called “flossing.” If you are able to tolerate this movement pain-free, try this out on the same side of your sciatica pain. More mobility = more movement = more blood flow.
3. Muscle Weakness
If you build a strong support network of muscles around the sciatic nerve, you will give the nerve a sense of security and stability.
The muscles around the sciatic nerve are primarily at the low back and at the hips. If these supporting muscles are weak it adds excessive stress to the sciatic nerve.
In addition, it is important to strengthen through a full range of motion to ensure a healthy sciatic nerve. That’s why it is very common for strong body builders to get sciatica because of how stiff they are in their low back and hips.
Here are two strengthening exercises for sciatica that will not only get the muscles in the low back and hips stronger, but also strengthen through a full range of motion.
SOLUTION: 2 movements to improve strength for Sciatica
1- Jefferson Curl
Remember how all the nerves are connected? Your sciatic nerve connects all the way up the spinal cord to your neck. By moving through a specific sequence of movements (neck, upper back, middle back, lower back, hips) this ensures that you are strengthening through a full range of motion.
2 - Top Down Deadlift
This exercise keeps the sciatic nerve moving during every part of the exercise. In addition, this helps strengthen not only the muscles in the low back and hips, but also your shoulder posture - which is an added benefit!
Check out Allan’s story of finding relief from low back pain and getting back to being active again.
And when you’re ready, sign up for a BodyScreen by clicking HERE.
