by Ellie Gonzalez

The Sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body.  It runs from your pelvis through your buttock and hip area and down the back of each leg.  Its main role is to provide feeling to your legs, thighs and feet but it also controls many of the muscles in your lower legs.

“Sciatica” is the name that describes the pain that follows the path of this particular nerve, from your lower back to your buttock and then down your leg.

Although sciatica is not an ailment in itself, it is usually a symptom of a different problem, one that will involve the nerve such as a herniated disk.  This disk could be protruding in your lumbar spine and could be pressing on the sciatic nerve.

Symptoms of this condition can vary greatly, from slight discomfort such as a mild ache to a sharp, stabbing sensation to even something more debilitating.  The pain often starts gradually but can intensify over time.  Coughing, sneezing, sitting and even walking can aggravate the symptoms.

As well as pain, you might feel “pins and needles”, numbness or muscle weakness or a burning sensation or tingling down your leg.

Sciatica is a condition that can usually heal itself as long as you give it enough time and rest.  A physical exam may be helpful in pinpointing the irritated nerve root, in some cases X-rays or other specialised methods such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) can be used to confirm a doctor’s diagnosis.

For most people, sciatica responds well to self-care treatment.  If you continue with your regular activities you will heal more quickly.  You just have to be careful to not re-aggravate what might have triggered off the pain in the first place.  Resting for a day or so might provide some release from pain but prolonged bed rest isn’t recommended as it can worsen your condition and motion actually helps to reduce inflammation.

Sciatica usually gets better on its own, within a few days or perhaps a few weeks.  The key is to remain active.

Additionally, cold packs can be used to reduce inflammation and simple over-the-counter pain killers such as ibuprofen or paracetemol may be taken if necessary.  Stretching exercises can also help with low back pain and they might help relieve nerve root compression.  Ideally it is best to start with passive stretches before active ones, all the while being careful to avoid any bouncing, twisting or jerky movement.

Hamstring stretches can help because if there is any tightness in the hamstrings, this can place increased stress on the lower back and might even aggravate the symptoms that can eventually lead to sciatica.

Obviously before doing any sciatic exercises you should see a health professional to get a correct diagnosis for the pain that you are experiencing and to rule out any more serious problems.

With AIS, Active Isolated Stretching™ , the stretch for the muscle in question is only held for 2 seconds; this is to obtain optimal flexibility without triggering the stretch reflex.  Breathing plays a vital role because it brings fresh oxygenated blood to the muscles that are being stretched.  This is important because, if oxygen is lacking, the muscles obtain energy by converting glucose into lactic acid, and this waste product causes muscles to fatigue.

Sciatica can be quite an unpleasant experience but with some rest and gentle stretching techniques such as AIS, we can alleviate the pain and help with reducing the symptoms.

Ellie Gonzalez

Back to the Newsletter