The best exercises to do if you have sciatica

From tomsguide.com

If you’re experiencing sciatica, you may find that exercise can help with your symptoms — these are the best ones to try 

If you're already suffering with sciatica, you'll know that it can affect lots of your body, and cause lots of pain. You may think that sciatica can prevent you from doing lots of the workouts and sports that you enjoy, but exercise is actually quite helpful to alleviate symptoms.

We spoke with Beth Davies, a Personal Trainer and coach to find out more about the link between sciatica and exercise, and how working out can help with sciatica pain symptoms.

What is sciatica?

Sciatica pain is caused by irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression of a nerve in the lower back, known as the sciatic nerve. The most common cause is a herniated or slipped disk that causes pressure on the nerve root. There may be some numbness or tingling in the back of the leg and it typically affects just one side. Most people with sciatica get better on their own with time and self-care treatments.

Can exercise help with sciatica?

Whilst it may seem counterintuitive, being sedentary may make sciatica worse. 

Exercises for sciatica can help improve muscle strength. Stronger muscles in the affected area may take weight off the surrounding muscles. Stronger back muscles can also help stabilize the back and promote good flexibility. 

As well as this, exercise helps improve blood flow to muscles and nerves. This helps move fresh blood and nutrients to the area as well as promoting the removal of toxins and inflammation. 

Exercise can also help improve soft tissue and nerve health. A study from 2016 found that targeted exercises for sciatica helped improve markers of nerve health by stimulating the nervous system to improve flexibility and reduce stiffness and sensitivity. 

Which exercises should you avoid? 

Be careful with high-impact exercises such as running or jumping, or very challenging core exercises such as double leg lifts, may make sciatica worse. 

What are the best exercises for sciatica? 

Exercises that can help relieve sciatica include low impact exercises such as walking and gentle strengthening and stretching, but we've found some of the best exercises for sciatica below:

Pelvic tilt 

This is a great exercise for strengthening and stretching the muscles of the core (particularly the deep core) and lower back, which provide support for the rest of the body. 

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet gently on the floor, and extend your arms along the floor with palms facing the floor. Allow the back of your head to touch the floor with a neutral spine (this means maintaining a natural curve with a small gap between your lower back and the mat), and inhale. As you exhale, gently draw in your lower abdominals to tilt your tailbone upwards. This will reduce the space between lower back and the floor. Inhale and return your pelvic back to its original position, before repeating 5-10 times. 

Here's a YouTube video explaining the move. 

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Bridge  

This is a great exercise for strengthening the core and the glutes which help with support and stability. 

Start by lying on your back on the floor, knees bent and feet on the mat. Extend your arms alongside your body with palms facing the floor, and inhale. As you exhale, gently press through the feet and raise the hips — aim for a straight line from shoulders to pelvis (if comfortable). Hold for 8-10 seconds and then lower and repeat. Take care not to lift the hips too high as this may put additional pressure on the lower back, before repeating 5-10 times. 

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Here's more on how to do a glute bridge, and the variations to try. 

(Image credit: Shuttertock)

Cat cow 

This yoga-inspired pose improves movement in the lower back and therefore can help improve spinal flexibility, posture, and balance. On all fours on the mat (hands under shoulders and knees under hips), find a neutral position. There should be a gentle curve in the lower back but no sagging in the hips or shoulders. Inhale and round your back towards the ceiling, holding for a couple of seconds. Exhale and release returning to a neutral position. Inhale to point the tailbone upwards towards the ceiling, hold for a few seconds and then exhale and return to neutral. Repeat 5-10 times. 

Here's more on how to do a cat-cow stretch, and the modifications to try. 

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Lying glute stretch 

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, and bring one ankle up, allowing it to rest on the other knee - this externally rotates the hips and provides a gentle stretch to the glutes. Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat the other side. You can also make this stretch more challenging by bringing the foot of the supporting leg off the floor and using your hands to draw that thigh closer to you. Hold and repeat a few times. 

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Knee to chest stretch

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, before bringing one knee to the chest, leaving the other foot on the floor. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and gently release the leg and repeat on the other side. Repeat this three times on each side. 

https://www.tomsguide.com/uk/news/the-best-exercises-to-do-if-you-have-sciatica

Sciatica and high heels: patients can overcome pain with chiropractic care and inserts

From chiroeco.com

For patients dealing with issues from sciatica and high heels, keeping the heel height under two inches can help

As many as 43% of people will develop sciatica at some point in their lifetime. For some, the pain is severe enough to limit their participation in everyday activities, even reducing their quality of life. One recognized trigger of this pain that often extends down the back of the leg is the combination of pain from sciatica and high heels.

While choosing lower-heeled shoes can provide some relief, another option is to combine chiropractic care with inserts, enabling patients to continue to enjoy their favourite pair of heels without instigating sciatic issues.

Sciatica and high heels

Wearing shoes with heels shifts the body’s weight forward. This changes the curvature of the spine, placing more stress on the lower back, and also stretching the hamstring muscles that run down the back of the upper thigh. Both factors can trigger inflammation and irritation of the sciatic nerve, resulting in pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling that often radiates from the lower back to the foot.

Seemingly, the solution for easing this pain is to avoid high-heeled footwear altogether. For some patients, this is an effective option. Others may not be as willing to let go of their favourite heels, even if it means a reduction in sciatic pain. Individuals in the latter group may benefit from a combination protocol of chiropractic care and shoe inserts to combat sciatica and high heels.

Chiropractic for sciatica

Chiropractic helps support sciatic nerve health by restoring proper spinal alignment. If the nerve is pinched or compressed due to spinal misalignment, manipulation can correct this issue. Proper alignment also enables the body to more naturally heal any inflammation or irritation that is provoking sciatic issues.

Research suggests that chiropractic is more effective for resolving this musculoskeletal issue than other treatment remedies. For example, in one study, 60 patients with L5-S1 disc herniation resulting in unilateral lumbosacral radiculopathy were split into two groups. The first group received treatment via neural mobilization techniques. The second group received lumbar manipulation. At six weeks post-treatment, the lumbar manipulation group had greater improvements in leg pain, disability, and nerve root compression. Results were published in the European Journal of Scientific Research.

Another study, this one published in Manual Therapy, indicates that other factors may contribute to patient satisfaction and treatment when seeking chiropractic care for back-related leg pain. Researchers learned that patients valued the quality of their interactions with the health care provider and the sharing of important information, citing that both contributed to their satisfaction levels and made the treatment more worthwhile.

Easing sciatic pain with shoe inserts

Recommending that patients utilize shoe inserts in addition to regular chiropractic can further ease their sciatic pain. Shoe inserts work by helping to correct structural or functional issues that are contributing to spinal misalignment or poor weight distribution.

Research indicates that shoe inserts can be even more beneficial for patients with different leg lengths. In one study, wearing insoles designed to correct leg-length discrepancy by 70% for eight hours per day reduced the intensity of the participants’ sciatic pain. They also reported a reduction in low back pain, improved physical function, and a reduced likelihood that they took sick leave during the following year.

Shoe advice for greater sciatic nerve health

For patients dealing with issues from sciatica and high heels, keeping the heel height under two inches can help. The shoe should also fit properly to prevent the feet from sliding forward, causing the spine to compensate by shifting the body’s weight forward as well.

Limiting the time spent in high-heeled shoes is also beneficial. This could involve wearing flatter heels when traveling to and from work or when running errands, saving the higher heels for during the workday, or wearing them only when attending important meetings.

The type of insole used will vary based on shoe type. A heel that fully encloses the foot would allow for a full-sized insole whereas a lighter insole or an insole under just the pads of the foot would be more appropriate for a heel that leaves more of the foot exposed.

https://www.chiroeco.com/sciatica-and-high-heels/