Sciatica
November 14th, 2007 | by admin |
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Sciatica
Sciatica And Back Pain – 7 Simple Things You Can Do To Stop It
by: Chris Galloway
The Good News
The good news is that by doing the right back exercises in the right way, you have a great chance of stopping your sciatica and Back Pain and keeping your back healthy and strong.
Even if your back already hurts, or is strained, there is a good chance that you can make it better.
(Note: If you’re sick, or your back really hurts and you think you’ve injured yourself, make sure you see a health practitioner first.)
The Not-So-Good News
If you don’t exercise reasonably regularly, especially as you age, the muscles supporting and surrounding your back will eventually get weak and stiff.
Then these muscles won’t be able to work well enough when you most need them to – when you put a strain on your back.
This means it’s much more likely that your will injure your back when you do place a strain – even a small strain – on it.
Your back can get injured from an action as simple as reaching for something on your desk, or from a more obvious strain such as lifting something heavy, especially if your posture is bad as you do it.
Why Back Problems Tend to Hang Around
Your back is a complicated mechanical system with many moving parts. This is why the condition of the surrounding muscles is so important in supporting it and holding everything in alignment.
Studies have shown the muscles that provide support to your back behave differently to other muscles.
The key difference is that they are slower to automatically “switch back on” (i.e. return to their previous level of function) after an injury or a strain.
Unless they are triggered by exercise, they can take a long time to return to their previous level of function.
Worst case without the right exercise, they may never return to full function and so your back doesn’t get the support it needs.
When these supporting muscles are working properly, they respond to signals from your brain by clenching or bracing fractionally before a strain impacts your back.
This means your back is supported as the strain arrives and so the chance of (further) injury or strain is reduced.
When this mechanism is not working properly and the muscles don’t trigger, your back is left unsupported and thus you are more likely to re-injure or strain your back.
This is why back problems can be so difficult to get rid of once you start having them and why you can suffer from recurring back problems.
This is also the reason regular exercise is so important – it helps to keep your supporting muscles active and able to do their job.
7 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Your Back
1. Stand upright and pay attention to posture – don’t slouch.
2. Sit upright at your desk with your lower back slightly curved. Don’t slump in your chair or hunch over your keyboard. Set your workstation up correctly – screen at eye level.
3. Change your position frequently. Get up and walk around every 20-30 minutes even if it’s only for 30 seconds.
4. Eat healthily and manage your weight. Extra weight, especially around your waist, strains your back. A simple diet with a good selection of fresh foods is one of the keys to overall health.
5. Do specific back strengthening exercises. (Find out about the Better Back System).
6. Also exercise to strengthen your stomach and ‘core’ muscles which help support your back.
7. Push rather than pull heavy objects. If you’re lifting something heavy, use your leg muscles and hold it close to your body. Don’t bend over and strain your back.
We recommend the Better Back System which you can try this at home to see if it works for you without any risk. It uses a set of special exercises that you can do at home in about 5 minutes a day with a 97% chance of success and without having to trek to the gym, or fill your cupboard full of equipment.
There’s no mystery really! When you take action on a few key things, you’re on the road to a better back, ending your back pain and sciatica and ensuring good health.
About The Author
Chris Galloway
The author’s back has put up with fifty years of football and falling off bikes, among other things. Read his tried and tested exercises for a healthy back without pain and without medication at http://www.sciaticacenter.com.
This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Seek the guidance of a licensed physician if you need medical advice.
9 Responses to “Sciatica”
By kerry bush on Nov 28, 2007 | Reply
I have pad and stents but my leg still hurts from hip down 2 ankle It feels heavy, tired, takes awhile 4 pain to go away what could this be please email me back with something
By Richard Mace on Sep 5, 2008 | Reply
After donating bone marrow donor through NBMP 10-17-2007 untill current, I have had pain in lower back and down left leg Rating from 3-7 on a pain scale. I have just been told I have Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome. Other than meds that do not allow me to be mentally alert is there anything I can do?
By Louise Wloczewski on Jan 12, 2009 | Reply
I have been suffering with Scatica Pain for the last 3 months—I’m seeing a doctor finally.The pain is in my buttock,thigh,
hip,calf,foot & grion.The pain is overwhelming.
All the pain is on my left side.Do you have any
comments?
Thank You,Louise
By Dianna Byrne on Feb 14, 2009 | Reply
Dear Louise,
I can relate to your misery as I have spent the last 2.5 mos. in the same condition. All of mine is on the right side though. Unlike you, I could not stand the pain and because I go to a pain clinic, my Dr. there suggested nerve root injections and an MRI. I had the MRI and it showed a disc bulge L5, S1, and also facet joint bone encorachment on the achiatic nerve. Perhaps this will help you a little, but hope you have gotten help by now. I know I could not have lived this long without trying some relief measures. Pain was like nothing I have ever had and I have had 31 surgeries in my lifetime of 60 years.
By J eanne Fallows on Mar 4, 2009 | Reply
I’ve been having sciatica pains for two years, and have visited many doctors in Clearwater Florida. I’m thinking of going to the Cleveland Clinic….How can I handle this without leaving home>
By jaime on Mar 11, 2009 | Reply
hey girl. i am a certified massage therapist. go to a chiropractor for this, not a doctor. Also, you will need to get massage at least once a month. Sciatica is cause by your muscles pinching on your sciatic nerve, and having a chiropractor adjust you helps a great deal.
By CARROLL REDD on Mar 12, 2009 | Reply
JAIME,
YOU SAID YOU ARE A THERAPIST.I HOPE YOU CAN ANSWER A QUESTION FOR ME. I HAD 3 STERIOD SHOTS FOR A PINCHED NERVE IN MY BACK ONE A MONTH. 2 MONTHS LATER,MY 77 YEAR OLD BODY STARTED TO MASS UP AND IT IS BOTHERING ME, I GET TIRED REAL EASY NOW AND I USALLY WALK 6 MILES A DAY, BUT NOW IT IS REAL HARD TO DO SO. WHAT CAN I DO TO GET BACK WHERE I WAS?
By Marilyn on Jun 15, 2009 | Reply
Hi,
About four months ago I began having severe pain in my lower back and leg from a pinched nerve and buldging disc at 5L. I couldn’t even get up to go to the bathroom. I got meds from the doctor and went to PT, it was slowly getting better then it reoccured. Now my doctor wants to do a nerve block, can this help?
By Susan on Oct 26, 2009 | Reply
I have been having a pain going down my right side, starting around in my buttox on down my leg. I thought I had pulled a muscle playing field hockey. I was talking w/my sister and she said that it sounds like sciatica nerve problem. It really hurts when I drive, but it also hurts if I am just around the house.My back howerver does not hurt, yet. Could this be sciatica problem. What relief can you get. My sister had it for 4 yrs.