It’s logical to assume that when you have pain in your leg and lower back, you should rest to help improve the sciatica treatment which you are receiving such as medication or spinal manipulation. However, this is not the case. Find out everything which you need to know about exercising as therapy and how to make the most out of it. Let’s get started.
Why Exercise Is Important
If you have your body moving, the muscles and bones will be in better shape. The blood flow to them will improve and they will become stronger. With exercise, you can expect to get pain relief and improved mobility. Keep in mind that if you choose to rest longer than several days as you get better with your sciatica treatment, your condition may worsen eventually in case of stiffness caused by constant lying or sitting.
When to Begin
This depends on your overall condition and on the main type of sciatica treatment which you are receiving or have received. If you are better just after taking painkillers for a few days, you may begin straight away. In case you have received surgery, you may have to wait longer. The best course of action is to talk to your doctor. He or she can refer you to a physical therapist who can create an exercise program and schedule for you and help you along the way, if needed.
What to Include in the Routine?
There are two pillars of the exercise program to sciatica treatment. The primary one is doing stretching exercises. The spinal, gluteal and hamstring stretches are the most common. The exercises are simple and easy to do at home You need nothing more than a mat and a pillow in some cases. It is a good idea to pick exercises which are geared towards the underlying cause of sciatica, be it a herniated disc or lumbar spinal stenosis.
It is worth noting that you can find lots of useful stretching poses in yoga too. The patients who choose to include yoga sessions in their sciatica treatment often do it not only because of the pain relief which they can expect to receive with stretching, but also because of the mental relaxation. The latter is very important for managing the condition.
The second pillar of the routine is aerobic exercise. Experts recommend walking as it helps to work out all muscle groups in the body without causing great stress to the bones and joints. Water aerobics is another great choice. You can choose to do more intensive exercises if your doctor approves.
It’s now time to get exercise as part of your sciatica treatment.