Sciatica Exercise to Treat Lower Spine Pain and Nerve Problem

Sciatica exercises don’t have to be very complicated to be effective. In most cases, they can be performed successfully at home and can often negate the need for professional treatment. Whether used by themselves or in addition to other forms of treatment, simple sciatica pain exercises and self-care methods can often be the difference between recovery and chronic pain.

Sciatica is usually caused by an back injury to one or more discs in the lower spine. The discs are the soft-tissue shock absorbers between the spinal bones. When one or more discs is damaged sufficiently to bulge into the openings and produce swelling where the nerve branches that form the sciatic nerve exit the lower spine pain, the nerves can become irritated. Inflammation from the bulging disc can also cause swelling and this swelling may produce additional nerve irritation. The resulting nerve irritation produces the pain and other symptoms that travel into the buttock and or leg that is called sciatica.

The primary effect of most good sciatica pain exercises is to “push” the bulging disc material away from the irritated nerve branches (as is accomplished with the McKenzie extension exercises described later) and/or reduce the accumulation of fluid from inflammatory swelling (which can be achieved with any gentle aerobic exercise like walking or swimming). This reduction of pressure on the nerve through reduced disc bulging and swelling often provides fast relief of pain. With frequent use of the exercises over a period of several days, even resistant cases will usually get pain relief eventually and gradual stabilization of the disc wall will occur to control the bulging tendency. As the disc stabilizes, lasting relief of pain is the result.

Among the most popular of the sciatica nerve exercises is the previously mentioned McKenzie method, which is much like the “cobra” position in yoga. The idea is that backward bending of the spine gently squeezes the inner gel of the disc forward and away from the nerves that produce sciatica. This will aleviate lower spine pine.

Besides sciatica exercises, there are other methods that can be used to alleviate sciatic nerve irritation and pain. Using ice packs (separated from the skin with a thin layer of cloth to prevent frost bite) for 10 to 15 minutes at a time up to every couple of hours will usually reduce inflammation and swelling around nerves far better than even the most powerful anti-inflammatory medication. Acupressure and self massage can also be effective in decreasing inflammatory swelling around the nerves and produce pain relief. The reduction of inflammation provided by these other forms of self-treatment enhance the effects of the sciatica exercises.

With consistent application of exercises and other sciatica self-treatment methods, expensive and time-consuming professional treatment, unpleasant side effects from medication and invasive injections and surgeries can usually be avoided. By learning what sciatica pain exercises and self-administered treatments to do and what not to do, you can help to heal yourself and prevent a return of the sciatic nerve pain in the future.