How to Exercise with Sciatica

In my line of work, which is utilizing the McKenzie Method or Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, I am initially trying to determine directional preference.  If you come to me with sciatica which is pain in your legs originating from your back, I try to find movements that will centralize and eventually abolish your symptoms.

If you go to an exercise class that actually eases your leg pain and leaves you with only back pain, then believe it or not, that would be a good exercise class for you.  

Yes, you heard me right...a class that gives me back pain?  As long as it eliminates your leg pain, then I am going to say yes.  Because this class is actually helping to centralize your symptoms which is a green light in my type of work.  (See I always said you didn't have to stop exercising!  We just have to find the right exercise for you.)  Ideally, you would find an exercise class that actually abolishes your leg and back pain and helped you to feel better.

If you have back pain that peripheralizes (or spreads away from the center) down into your buttock, or IT band, to the back of your knee, calf or even all the way down your leg, then you are making yourself worse.  If you are exercising and it causes you to list, or shift away from the pain, then you are also making yourself worse by producing a lateral shift.  If you went to a class without any pain at all and left with pain then

 This means this is not the exercise class for you.  

 

Sciatica

Lateral Shift

You might just need to scale your exercises or substitute one exercise for another.  I will be glad to help you with this once I know what is really going on with your back or sciatica problems.  If you aren't sure whether or not you are helping or making your problem worse, you know what I am going to say.  "Everyone Deserves a Good Mechanical Assessment and Treatment Plan!"  Visit grimmpt.com or call 504-228-0524 to set up your evaluation today.