Specific exercises and stretches for sciatica patients may relieve pain and tightness in the sciatic nerve and surrounding area. Although Sciatica usually resolves independently, these exercises may quicken the healing process.
Radiating sciatica pain is particularly difficult to manage and can sometimes be incapacitating. Unlike other types of pain, Sciatica may not improve with rest.
This blog describes how and why various exercises can help people with Sciatica. It also examines the causes and symptoms of Sciatica, potential preventive measures, and other treatment options.
Goals of Physical Therapy and Exercise in Treating Sciatica
Exercise and physical therapy help to strengthen and mobilize tissues in the lower back, pelvis, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs.
The goals of physical therapy and exercise in treating sciatica symptoms are as follows:
- Restore functional movement patterns that are pain-free.
- Reduce pain in the lower back, buttocks, thighs, and legs.
- Muscle spasms should be reduced.
- Restore lumbar spine and sacroiliac joint function.
- Increase lower-body mobility.
- Improve the healing environment in the lower back.
- Encourage neurologic adaptations to reduce pain perception.
- Prevent future pain flare-ups and reduce movement-related anxiety.
Physical therapy and exercise are usually the first-line treatments for relieving, treating, and preventing sciatica symptoms. Typical sciatica symptoms and signs include:
- Pain in the lower back, hips, and legs.
- Buttock, thigh, leg, and foot numbness, tingling, and weakness.
Underlying medical conditions, such as a herniated or degenerated disc or nerve root compression in the lumbar spine, can cause Sciatica or radiating symptoms into the leg.
Physical therapy may be used to treat Sciatica in the following ways:
- Provides symptom relief.
- Encourage the healing of the underlying cause.
- Avoid recurrences and flare-ups.
Physical therapists, chiropractors, physiatrists (also known as physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians), and certified athletic trainers are among the health professionals who specialize in providing medical care and treatment for radiating lower back pain.
Physical therapists are specially trained to provide manual therapy, exercise programs, and rehabilitation for patients suffering from radiating lower back pain.
Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief
A physical therapist may recommend a combination of physical, manual, soft tissue mobilization, and exercise therapies to treat Sciatica. Specific activities are determined by the underlying cause of Sciatica and other factors, such as the patient’s pain level, overall conditioning, and the physical therapist’s training and experience.
The list below highlights the standard techniques for treating Sciatica.
1. Extension and flexion back exercises
Back exercises that promote spine movements, such as extension and flexion, can help relieve pain. Individuals suffering from lower back pain and Sciatica frequently find relief from specific directional spine movement.
Before prescribing specific directional exercises tailored to the individual patient and symptoms, a physical therapist evaluates an individual’s directional preference. Backward (extension) and forward (flexion) bending are examples of these exercises.
This directional movement is an essential component of the McKenzie Method, also known as mechanical diagnosis and therapy (MDT).
2. The McKenzie Method
The McKenzie Method (mechanical diagnosis and therapy) is a technique that uses a series of active directional movements to locate and treat a source of pain in the spine, muscles, or joints. Through exercise, the technique focuses on bringing radiating pain closer to the center of the body, for example, bringing leg pain closer to the spine.
The theory behind this approach is that centralizing the pain leads to symptom improvement. The goal is to reduce symptoms that radiate from the spine. A therapist who uses this technique is usually trained in the McKenzie Method.
3. Strengthening exercises
Bodyweight and resistance exercises to strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, low back, hips, and legs are examples of strengthening exercises.
Isometric exercises require you to contract your muscles without moving your joints. Isometric exercises include the plank and the bridge hold. When symptoms are more severe, these exercises can help strengthen muscles.
Isotonic exercises, such as resistance bands and weight training, involve the contraction of a muscle to resist a constant load to increase the muscle strength through constant resistance to specific motions.
- Lifting, carrying, and bending or squatting are functional retraining movements. Proper technique and healthy movement patterns reduce pain and prevent re-injury.
- Nerve glides (nerve mobilization) are active or passive techniques used on a symptomatic nerve to facilitate movement and reduce symptoms.
- Joint mobilization is a manual therapy in which the therapist applies pressure to a joint to mobilize it and produce a therapeutic effect.
- Joint manipulation is a manual technique in which the therapist uses a quick thrust force at the end of a joint’s range of motion to relieve pain and restore normal movement.
- A certified healthcare provider uses a small needle to target a trigger point in a muscle during dry needling. This technique relieves pain by releasing hyper-irritable and hyper-contracted muscle tissue.
- The muscle energy technique is a manual therapy in which the patient performs gentle muscle contractions while the therapist moves painful joints through a specific range of motion. This technique may aid in the reduction of pain and the restoration of function.
- Myofascial release and soft tissue mobilization involve the therapist mobilizing tissues in the lower back, hips, or legs with their hands or an instrument to treat fascial (underlying soft tissue) restrictions and reduce muscle tension or spasm.
- Gait training entails analyzing one’s walking technique and retraining proper gait patterns. This method could include video analysis.
- Active assisted range of motion refers to the therapist-assisted movement of lower-body parts such as the hip and legs. This method aids in the direction of specific joints or muscles that cause pain.
- While this is not an exhaustive list, therapists typically employ one or more techniques when treating sciatica pain. If an exercise or therapy causes pain or discomfort, it is best to notify the treating therapist immediately.
Physical Therapy for Sciatica: What to expect
The therapist will review your medical history and lifestyle habits and ask questions about your sciatica experience during your first PT appointment. They may inquire about the onset of Sciatica, whether an injury or specific event triggered sciatic symptoms, and your level of activity before the start of low back and leg pain.
Your physical therapist may then instruct you to perform simple movements to assess your range of motion, posture, reflexes, and movement ability. You may be asked to bend side to side, flex forward, extend backward, or twist at the waist.
The therapist also notices you walking. This part of your exam gives your therapist a baseline assessment of your current condition and how Sciatica affects your physical functional ability to perform daily activities.
Like many other treatment options, physical therapy is not a quick fix and may take several weeks to achieve the desired results. Your treatment plan will include clinic visits with your physical therapist and at-home exercise.
Why is physical therapy beneficial for sciatica patients?
Because it can help reduce inflammation and pain, improve physical function, and prevent sciatica symptoms from recurring. Furthermore, your physical therapy program may teach you how to improve your posture and may include a home exercise program for long-term physical health improvement.
Tags: Physical therapy for sciatica, Sciatica & Lower Back Pain Relief, Sciatica and Back Pain Relief, Sciatica and Back Pain Relief Michigan
