Treat sciatica with exercise

Treat sciatica with exercise

As a sciatica sufferer, I wanted to figure out how to not only relieve the pain when it occurs, but how to control or prevent it.

First, what is sciatica?– Sciatica is described in numerous ways: dull pain, throbbing pain, stabbing, numbness, and incredible discomfort. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that begins in the lower back and runs through the buttocks and lower extremities. It is the longest and widest single nerve in the body.

The sciatic nerve is the main nerve in the leg and the largest in the body. It runs from the base of the spine along the back of the thigh to the knee, where it divides into branches. It supplies almost all of the skin of the leg, the muscles of the back of the thigh, as well as those of the leg and foot. Pain usually radiates down the back of a particular leg, perhaps to the calf, ankle, or foot.

If sciatica persists, it may cause a feeling of numbness or tingling. This is usually the result of the body's inability to send pain signals from the leg back to the brain. Along with numbness, a person with sciatica may experience weakness in an affected limb. This can cause limping or dragging of a foot, buckling of the knees, and difficulty getting up from a sitting position. In this case, sciatica treatment is required.

What causes it?– Sciatica pain is usually caused by compression of this nerve at the point where it leaves the spine. Nerve damage can also cause pain. In young and early middle-aged adults, the most common cause of sciatica is a herniated disc. In older people, changes in the spine due to conditions such as osteoarthritis may be responsible. Sometimes sciatica can occur just from sitting awkwardly.

What are the symptoms?-Sciatica usually affects only one leg. The pain can be felt in the buttocks, the back of the leg, below the knee, and in the foot. Such pain can be mild or severe; it may be persistent or occur in spasms. People with sciatica may also experience numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the affected leg. It can be worse when you cough or move and is sometimes accompanied by lower back pain.

What is the treatment?– Sciatica sometimes goes away without treatment. However, if this is not the case, you may be prescribed: painkillers, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy and/or massage, etc. The benefits of appropriate exercises often provide relief without the need for medication.

Inspired by Alan B Howard