Sciatica Exercises for Back Pain Relief

September 15, 2017

If you suffer from sciatica pain, a specific exercise program can be created around the underlying cause of the sciatic pain to treat the problem.

The specific sciatica exercises serve two main purposes:

• Reduces the sciatic pain in the short term
• Provides muscle conditioning and strengthening to prevent future recurrences of the pain

Spine Center Miami works with physical therapists who specialize with spine problems. These certified specialists who treat the leg pain and other symptoms will usually prescribe specific exercises and teach the patient how to do them.

Exercise Provides Sciatica Pain Relief

Exercise is usually better for relieving sciatic pain than bed rest. Patients can rest for 1-2 days after their sciatic pain flares up, but after that time period, inactivity can make the pain worse.

Without exercise and movement, the back muscles and spinal structures become weak and less able to support the back. The deconditioning and weakening can lead to a back strain, which causes additional pain. Active exercise is very important to keep the spinal discs healthy. Movement can help exchange nutrients and fluids within the discs to keep them healthy and prevent pressure on the sciatic nerve.

A sciatica exercise program can include:

Many sciatica exercises serve to strengthen the abdominal and back muscles in order to provide more support for the back. This is also known as core muscle strength. When muscles are tight and inflexible, they can cause pain from sciatica. When patients engage in a regular program of gentle strengthening and stretching exercises, they can recover more quickly from a flare up of sciatica and are less likely to experience future episodes of pain.

Remember, pain is a symptom not a diagnosis. Many exercise programs will be tailored to address the underlying cause of the patient’s sciatic pain, such as a spinal stenosis or a lumbar herniated disc. Performing the wrong type of exercise can make the sciatic pain worse so it is critical to get an accurate diagnosis prior to starting a program of sciatica exercises.