Sciatica Exercises and Self Treatment

Sciatica exercises and other self-treatment techniques are often just as effective, and may even work better for some individuals than treatments provided by doctors. This is particularly true when it comes to getting lasting relief, because most doctor-administered treatments only mask symptoms and do not address the underlying causes of sciatica, namely spinal disc protrusion and/or muscle contraction.

The symptoms of sciatica are pain, tingling, burning, and other sensations that extend from the buttock area down the back of the thigh, and sometimes all the way down the calf to the foot. True sciatica is related to compression and irritation of the sciatic nerve, most often by a bulging or ruptured spinal disc in the lower back.

Nearly identical in symptoms to true sciatica is a condition known a piriformis syndrome or "pseudo-sciatica". This is caused by contraction of a muscle in the lower buttock region, the piriformis, which runs from the sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of the spine that makes up the back part of the pelvis) to the hip. In some cases, the piriformis contraction may produce compression of the sciatic nerve, but the muscle itself can cause "referred pain" (similar to the arm pain that often accompanies a heart attack) that mimics sciatica.

Both true sciatica and piriformis syndrome can usually be treated effectively with simple exercises and home-treatment methods. One of the simplest sets of exercises for alleviating true sciatica is the McKenzie Method, named for New Zealand physical therapist Robin McKenzie. Although the McKenzie Method is usually associated with spinal extension, in fact the technique uses a systematic approach to determine what spinal positioning is most effective at reducing nerve compression by a herniated disc for a given individual. The majority of cases d respond best to some variation of spinal extension, but not all McKenzie exercises involve extension – it depends on what the evaluation techniques suggest will be most effective.

For piriformis syndrome, home treatment can best be accomplished by means of stretching and massage of the piriformis muscle. One simple stretch can be done by bending the leg and pulling the knee toward the chest, then carefully stretching the knee towards the opposite side shoulder. Stretching should be done slowly and with steady pressure, rather than "bouncing" the stretch which may actually increase muscle contraction. Massage of the piriformis can be done by finding the area of tightness in the lower buttock area and pressing one’s knuckles into the contracted area with firm pressure, gradually increasing pressure as the tenderness decreases and the muscle relaxes.

While there are other sciatica self treatment methods besides exercises,one of the most effective home remedies for disc related sciatica is the use of ice packs to reduce inflammation. While anti-inflammatory medication does help in many cases, ice can be far more effective and does not cause the side-effects that are common with the drugs. It is best to separate an ice pack from the skin with a thin layer of cloth, or a thin towel, in order to prevent frost bite of the skin. For best effect in treating disc-related sciatica, the cold packs should be placed on the lower back so that the pack extends at least one inch below the waistline. To get maximum effects, apply the ice pack for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time, then remove the pack and allow the skin to return to normal temperature before applying ice again. When in doubt, allow about 2 hours between applications of ice packs.

For additional sciatica information, please visit my SciaticaSelfCare.com website. When you visit, you’ll receive a free ebook on home treatment tips, and a free video course to help you etter understand your condition and treatment options.

Dr. George Best is a holistic healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas, and webmaster of SciaticaSelfCare.com.

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Sciatic Nerve Pain – What are the Symptoms and Causes?

Sciatica or sciatic nerve pain is a term often used to describe all sorts of back pain. In fact, less than 5% of people who suffer from lower back pain will have sciatica.

Sciatica is caused by a sciatic nerve irritation. This is most commonly caused by a disc bulge in the lower back.

What is the sciatic nerve?

To understand this you need to have a bit of an idea about human spine anatomy. The spine is made up of large bones called vertebra. These bones are separated from one another by spinal discs. Each vertebra overlaps the next at the back to form a joint called a facet joint.

Running down through the middle of the spine is a channel called the spinal canal, its here that the spinal cord sits. The spinal cord is the main structure that passes messages from our brains to our bodies.

At each vertebra the spinal cord braches out to form a nerve root, these nerve roots leave the spine via a gap between each vertebra and then bundle together to form much larger nerves.

In the legs there are two main, large nerves, the femoral nerve at the front and the sciatic nerve at the back. The sciatic nerve passes down through the buttock area into the back of the thigh and leg.

What causes sciatic nerve pain?

The most common cause of sciatica is a disc bulge. The disc is a very misunderstood structure; it has been blamed for back pain ever since it was discovered. Over the years we have started to believe that the disc is a really weak and vulnerable structure.

The term slipped disc makes it sound as if it can slip about inside. In truth the disc cant slip anywhere, it is firmly fixed at the top and at the bottom to the vertebrae above and below.

The disc can and does cause problems however. Sometimes the central area of the disc bulges, usually backwards and sideways. This can cause an irritation of the nerve root as it leaves the spine. Occasionally the bulge is severe enough to actually squash or trap the nerve but this is fairly rare.

When the nerve is irritated by the disc bulge it can become inflamed. Remember what it feels like to hit your finger with a hammer or catch it in a door for a moment. Following the nasty sharp pain you are left with a dull ache. The finger may become red and swollen; there may be some heat or warmth there. After a while, those symptoms settle and everything gets back to normal. Its very similar with the sciatic nerve. It becomes very sore and can give you a lot of pain, even though it is not actually trapped or squashed.

An important thing to know is that many people have disc bulges and have no symptoms at all.

There are some other conditions that can cause sciatic nerve pain but they are much less common. These include degenerative disc disease, severe osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis. Fractures, tumours and infection can also cause sciatica.

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

If someone has true sciatica then they often have pain in the legs, usually in the buttock, back of the thigh or calf. There may also be pins and needles and numbness in parts of the leg.

In severe cases the leg may feel weak and the strength may be reduced. Often, disc bulges cause no back pain at all; the symptoms are felt only in the legs.

Why are so many people given the diagnosis of sciatica?

Very often, as soon as anyone has any lower back or leg symptoms they are told that have sciatica. However, there are other things that can cause leg pain; a strained facet joint for example can cause pain in the buttock and thigh. But if the sciatic nerve is not irritated then it is not sciatica.

The best way to tell if it is sciatica is to undergo a series of test that your physiotherapist or doctor can perform. These simple clinical tests will be enough to identify if the problem is an irritated sciatic nerve.

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By Paula Fitzpatrick Published: 7/18/2008

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