Exercises for sciatica of the sciatic nerve: features and rules of execution

Beneficial properties of gymnastics for sciatica

Exercises for sciatica of the sciatic nerve complement the treatment complex. They are often used in conjunction with drug therapy and manual manipulation. Gymnastic exercises allow you to:

• increase the level of tissue supply with nutrients;
• remove inflammation and swelling;
• increase flexibility of joints, spine and limbs;
• strengthen muscles and tone them;
• eliminate pinched nerves in the pelvis.

The result of regular exercises is a significant improvement in the patient’s well-being and a reduction in the manifestations of the disease. However, you need to know that therapeutic exercises have a set of certain rules that should be followed if you want the maximum effect from the exercises.

Principles of treatment

To unblock the sciatic nerve, it is necessary to find out the cause of the situation. Depending on this, therapy will be prescribed. For example, if the pinching is caused by a neoplasm, then treatment will consist of surgery.

As for medication, the first step is to relieve pain and inflammation, in this case NSAIDs and muscle relaxants will help. To normalize metabolic processes in nerve cells, B vitamins are needed; in the acute stage they are prescribed intramuscularly, then they can be taken orally.

Electrophoresis, electromagnetic fields, ultraviolet light, various types of massage, paraffin, hydrotherapy - all this is physiotherapeutic therapy that will be aimed at relieving pain, inflammation and releasing the pinched nerve.

Non-traditional treatments include:

• stone therapy;
• phytotherapy;
• cauterization;
• acupuncture;
• other methods, of which there are currently a lot.

If we talk about folk recipes, then when the sciatic nerve is pinched, they use tincture of bay leaf, horse chestnut, spruce buds, bee products, etc.

Rules for performing therapeutic exercises

If you have been diagnosed with a pinched nerve in the pelvic area, you will have to devote quite a lot of time to exercises for sciatica of the sciatic nerve. First you need to learn how they are performed, and then familiarize yourself with the training programs.

Daily execution

You will need to do the exercises every day, or even better, twice. As a rule, gymnastics is started in the morning, which allows you to feel better throughout the day. Only by focusing on regular exercise can you expect that exercises for sciatica will eliminate the manifestations of the disease.

Preparing the surface for exercises

The surface on which you exercise should be flat and smooth, this will avoid discomfort during training, as well as comply with the technique of performing the exercises. If you exercise on the floor, make sure there are no drafts, as otherwise you can catch a cold in an already affected area. To avoid discomfort, a special mat is placed on the surface; yoga mats are also good.

Stopping execution during exacerbation

Continuing exercise with sciatica is impossible if your disease worsens. In this case, the exercises will be very painful, and instead of benefiting you, you will cause harm to the body, injuring already inflamed tissues.

How to treat inflammation of the sciatic nerve

Treatment measures are aimed at:

• relieving the patient of pain;
• improved sensitivity of the limbs;
• restoration of leg functionality.

To achieve this, they resort to methods of traditional and alternative medicine. Treatment begins with pain relief. Then physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises, and manual therapy come into play. In parallel, the rich experience of traditional medicine can be used.

Medicines prescribed for the treatment of sciatica include the following groups of drugs:

• non-steroidal;
• corticosteroids;
• vitamin complexes;
• biogenic stimulants;
• muscle relaxants;
• decongestants;
• angioprotectors.

External means are widely used - warming creams and ointments, which contain snake or bee venom, hot pepper, camphor, turpentine. Massage for inflammation of the sciatic nerve helps improve blood circulation and restore muscle tone.

A huge role in restoring leg functions belongs to physiotherapeutic procedures, for example, magnetic and laser therapy, electrophoresis, and dynamic current treatment. Various types of physical exercises, selected for a specific patient, reduce muscle spasms and strengthen the body.

To heal at home, you will have to be patient, since sciatica responds better to the efforts of professionals. There are cases when the disease started precisely because of insufficiently active therapeutic measures. The more complex the case, the more effective drugs have to be prescribed. So, if non-steroidal drugs do not help, although a person takes them for a long time, steroid drugs are prescribed, which have significant side effects.

In many clinics, in addition to the main treatment, patients undergo courses:

• acupuncture;
• ozone therapy;
• herbal medicine;
• cupping and vacuum massage;
• stone therapy;
• treatment with leeches;
• cauterizations.

Many recipes for compresses, lotions, and tinctures have been developed. But it is better not to try them on yourself without consulting your doctor. The doctor knows where and how they can help or harm. Therefore, it is necessary to consult.

Spa and hydrotherapy is an excellent way to improve overall health and regulate various pathologies, including inflammation of the sciatic nerve, the symptoms and treatment of which, due to their diversity and complexity, require long-term and careful attention.

If therapeutic methods do not produce results, the nerve has to be decompressed. This is done surgically.

It is not enough to know how to treat sciatica, that is, inflammation of the sciatic nerve. It is necessary to be aware of how to protect yourself from such a serious, life-spoiling and health-robbing illness.

Among the preventive measures, doctors recommend the following:

• do not freeze;
• strengthen immunity;
• lift weights correctly;
• develop posture;
• sleep on hard mattresses;
• beware of sudden movements.

A healthy body significantly increases the likelihood that the spine will work correctly, and the nerve roots will avoid inflammation and will not be pinched.

We specialize in the treatment of the musculoskeletal system, even in severe stages of disease. We have been helping thousands of patients avoid surgery for 10 years!

• Our doctors

This is the strongest team of experts who teach at the RUDN Department. We are the clinical base of leading universities, where the best doctors in Moscow, unique specialists from Russia and abroad are trained.

Types of exercises (description of exercises)

Gymnastics for sciatica of the sciatic nerve can be started if the exacerbation is stopped with medication and your general health has improved. The fact is that therapeutic techniques are not aimed at alleviating pain; they must treat the disease and prevent exacerbations.

Lying down

Gymnastics for sciatica in a horizontal position can be performed as follows:

1. Lying on your back, curl up so that your knees are near your chest, help yourself with your hands. Spend 20-30 seconds in this position.
2. Press your knee toward your opposite shoulder, pulling it up with your hands. Hold this for 8 seconds, then rest and repeat on the second knee.
3. In a horizontal position, bend your legs at the knees and press your back into the floor with muscle strength. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then relax.

Such exercises for identified sciatica involve up to ten repetitions, but if it is very difficult or painful, reduce the number of approaches or eliminate the exercise altogether.

Sitting

If you decide to engage in exercise therapy when you identify sciatica in a sitting position, the following exercises will be useful to you:

• Straight arms placed behind the back are brought together with the palms as far as possible, while working with the scapular region - 5 times;
• arms are extended above the head, and the person carefully lies on his back, legs to the sides and rises up so that they are perpendicular to the body - the exercise is difficult, it may not work right away, you can do up to 3 repetitions on the first attempts, but try to increase their number;
• hands in a lock behind your head, turn your body left and right - 5 repetitions.

Monitor the temperature - in a cool room it is easy to catch a cold in an already affected area.

standing

Therapeutic gymnastics and exercises for sciatica in an upright position can be as follows:

1. Raise one arm up and the other down, parallel to the body. Bend to the other side of the raised arm as much as you can, you need to try to make your torso and outstretched arm parallel to the floor, but start small. Do 5 reps.
2. Standing on your knees, make a lock with your hands above your head, then slowly stretch forward. When your hands touch the floor, return to the starting position. Repeat up to 10 times.

To better understand how to train, you can look for videos of exercises that help with sciatica. In this case, it will be enough to repeat after the instructor. However, make sure that the exercises are performed by experts, as you may be taught the wrong technique.

Pinched sciatic nerve during pregnancy

Sometimes, at the end of pregnancy, a woman’s sciatica worsens due to prolonged stress; while waiting for the baby, it is not recommended to take strong drugs, so therapeutic exercises are the only way to relieve the pain. Here are some exercises that will help the expectant mother:

1. Get on your knees and place your hands on the floor. Your knees should be positioned under your hips and your hands shoulder-width apart. Arch your lumbar region, stay in this position for a minute, then bend and also lock for a minute. Keep your head straight, do not tilt.
2. This exercise can also be performed while standing. Place your feet at hip level and extend your arms forward to maintain balance. Bend and bend your lumbar region, fixing the position of your body for a minute.
3. Place your foot on a low stool or step and very carefully reach your body towards your foot. If you do everything correctly, you will feel the hamstring muscles tighten. They need to be stretched slowly, so freeze in this position. The back should be straight, breathing should be even.

If sciatica occurs for the first time, then after childbirth you should definitely consult a doctor and undergo medical therapy.

Exercises for severe back pain

If you experience severe pain, you can do the following:

1. Lie on your stomach on a surface approximately at the level of your pelvis, without bending your legs. Count to 5 and relax into a horizontal position. Do three reps.
2. Standing in a knee-elbow position, relax your back and inhale as deeply as possible with your stomach, holding your breath for five seconds. Repeat up to 8 times, by the end of the exercise the pain will subside.

Your doctor will tell you what exercises to do for sciatica, so don't delay your visit to the clinic.

Pinching symptoms

Doctors consider several syndromes that indicate that the patient has a pinched nerve.

• Lesera – straight leg does not rise;
• Sikara – pain intensifies if a person bends the foot;
• landing - it is impossible to take a sitting position yourself.

It hurts to walk and squat, but if you lie down or sit with your legs spread wide apart, it goes away. Signs of inflammation and pinching of the sciatic nerve are quite expressive, but they can still be confused with other diseases:

• spondylitis;
• myeloma;
• ankylosing spondylitis;
• phlebothrombosis;
• arterial insufficiency.

Diagnosis for pain in the gluteal region

To identify the causes of pain and make a diagnosis, a physical examination by a neurologist is necessary. As objective methods of diagnostic search, in medical in Rostov-on-Don, high-precision modern equipment is used, which allows you to quickly determine the cause of pathological processes.

1) Using computed tomography, not only the structure of the bones, but also the vertebral discs are examined in detail. A tomograph is indispensable in diagnosing hernial protrusions, tumor formations and damage caused by trauma.

2) Magnetic resonance imaging examination allows us to identify the nature and extent of damage to the sciatic nerve plexuses and the features of the processes occurring in them.

The price for instrumental diagnostics is affordable. It includes the examination itself, its result on disk, and a transcript from the diagnostician.

Stretching while sitting.

This position relieves sciatic pain because it reduces tension in the lower back, buttocks, and legs.

How to do it?

Sit on the floor with your legs extended. You need to keep your back straight.

Cross your right leg over your left while keeping your left leg as straight as possible.

Place your left elbow on your right knee, pressing and rotating your torso.

Hold this position for 30–40 seconds, then lower. Repeat on the other side.

Sciatica - exercises for the back.

Back stretches help relieve sciatic pain in the center of the lower back.

This simple movement reduces tension and encourages lubrication of muscles and nerves for proper functioning.

How to do it?

Place your feet together and keep your back straight. Then extend your arms forward, slowly bending until your head is in front of your knees and your back is arched. Repeat 8-10 times, inhaling and exhaling.

In what cases is a sciatic nerve block prescribed?

A medication block for sciatic nerve pain is not a form of treatment for sciatica. Indications for the procedure are determined by the need for emergency blockade of severe pain caused by:

Kazieva Aminat Ziyavovna

Neurologist

Rostov State Medical University

Experience since 2012

• pronounced inflammatory process;
• development of local trophic disorders;
• constant aching pain along the affected nerve;
• physical overload of the ligamentous apparatus;
• muscle spasms and myogenic contracture.

The blockade is a highly effective procedure. It is indispensable when it is necessary to quickly eliminate swelling, relieve acute attacks of pain and in cases of severe clinical illness.

Objectives of physical therapy and its varieties

For sciatica, performing therapeutic exercises solves 3 problems:

1. Improves blood flow.
2. Eliminates the inflammatory process.
3. Activates metabolic processes.

Gymnastics for a pinched sciatic nerve eliminates “residual” pain in just 3-4 sessions. It affects not only the symptoms, but also the causes of pathological processes.

To achieve maximum effectiveness, all movements should be performed in accordance with the following recommendations:

• The implementation of the complex should be supervised by an experienced exercise therapy instructor;
• Training is prescribed twice a day;
• Movements are performed smoothly, without jerking;
• If an exacerbation occurs, training is interrupted;
• As soon as the pain subsides, training is resumed;
• The pace of classes is selected individually;
• The benefits will only come from regular exercise; you cannot take long breaks.

Despite the obvious benefits of exercise therapy, its use is strictly prohibited in the following cases:

• The patient has mental disorders;
• Frequent seizures of epilepsy occur;
• There are malignant formations;
• Suffered a spinal injury;
• The presence of a viral infection accompanied by high body temperature;
• Condition after heart attack and stroke.

The presence of these conditions requires mandatory consultation with an orthopedist and additional examination.

For sciatica, a complex of exercise therapy is used in three starting positions:

• Sitting;
• standing;
• Lying down.

Yoga and physiotherapeutic procedures are also used along with them.

Lying down

The exercise therapy complex for sciatica while lying down consists of 6 exercises, each of which is performed at least 10 times.

1. Lying on your back, slowly begin to pull your leg bent at the knee towards your chest. Don't move for 10-12 seconds. Switch legs using the same movements. Then repeat them with both limbs at the same time.
2. Without changing the starting position, place your feet as close to your buttocks as possible. Place your hands on your chest, crossing them. Take a deep breath and raise your back as high as possible. Exhale as you lower your back to the floor.
3. Place your palms under your buttocks. Bend your knees high, imitating riding a bicycle.
4. Stretch your arms to the sides, focusing on your palms. Raise your straightened legs and connect them. Tilt them to the right, then to the left, reaching an angle of 45 degrees.
5. Roll over onto your stomach. Use your palms as support. Hands should be near the shoulders. Arch your back while slowly straightening your arms. Having reached the maximum possible “deflection”, fixate for a few seconds. Relax by lowering your stomach to the floor.
6. Change position by turning on your side. Pull your legs towards you, which should be bent at the knees, taking the “embryo” position. Gently “stretching” the spine, tilt your head toward your chest with soft springy movements. Then slowly lie down on your side again.

Sitting

Exercises performed while sitting on the floor or in a chair are no less effective. They are done about 10 times each.

1. Sit on the floor with your legs comfortably extended. Focus on your hands, moving them behind your back. Connect and separate the shoulder blades. Remember that movements should be performed very gently, slowly, to avoid sharp pain and discomfort.
2. Without changing the sitting position, raise your arms and take a horizontal position, lowering to the floor. Then raise the straightened legs to the level of a right angle. Remember that your lower back should be “firm” on the floor. Otherwise, there will be excess pressure on the spinal column.
3. Sit on a chair with your hands behind your head. Slowly turn your body to the right, then to the left.
4. Sitting on the floor, straighten your legs. “Walk” forward on your buttocks, then back.
5. Get on all fours, focusing on your knees and hands. Inhale and arch your back. Exhale, returning to the position on all fours.
6. Sit back on the chair. Place your hands behind your back, clasping your palms. Turn your body to the right, then to the left.

What drugs are used for blockade

To block acute attacks of pain during neuralgia, medications that have an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect are used in medicine - novocaine blockade, lidocaine blockade and diprospan solution.

Novocaine blockade of the sciatic nerve has:

• bacteriostatic, antiseptic and antiallergic properties;
• pain-relieving effect;
• relieves muscle spasm;
• relieves sudden painful attacks in the area of ​​innervation of nerve branches;
• improves metabolic processes in tissues and nerve fibers;
• normalizes vascular tone and strengthens the walls of blood vessels, which reduces the risk of developing edema.

Lidocaine blockade is not inferior to the properties of novocaine blockade, but provides a longer lasting effect. Stops the flow of pain impulses through nerve tissues, promotes vascular expansion and restoration of blood flow in damaged tissues. Characterized by the absence of local irritation and the rapid effect of muscle relaxation.

Diprospan solution for blockade is a drug for periodic, course administration (up to 4 injections) with an interval of 7 days. Has a rapid analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.

Sometimes, to enhance the effect, the doctor may prescribe a complex administration of Lidocaine + Diprospan.

Kazieva Aminat Ziyavovna

Neurologist

Rostov State Medical University

Experience since 2012

Main advantages of the procedure

The undeniable advantage of therapeutic blockade compared to other forms of treatment is:

• quick effect - almost instant pain relief;
• rapid reduction of swelling and signs of inflammation in the sacrococcygeal area;
• possibility of reusable use;
• minimum side effects;
• absence of dependence and anaphylactic reactions.

Leg exercises.

This leg movement stretches the piriformis muscle and reduces the discomfort associated with sciatic pain.

How to do it?

Lie on your back on a yoga mat. Try to find a comfortable, stable position.

Then bend your knees and cross your legs. While holding the back of your leg, try to pull both knees toward your chest.

Stretch on the floor, relax and switch legs. Repeat 5-8 times.

This will help quickly unblock the sciatic nerve.

Contraindications

Despite the obvious advantage of drug blockade of the sciatic nerve, it is not available to all patients. This treatment method is contraindicated:

• patients with cardiovascular, renal and hepatic pathologies;
• with increased sensitivity of the body to the components of injectable drugs;
• patients with severe central nervous system damage;
• if there is a history of hemorrhagic syndrome and infectious skin lesions.

For patients with diabetes, stomach ulcers and metabolic disorders, the procedure is performed only in emergency cases, according to the doctor’s opinion.

Safety precautions when performing exercises and asanas in therapeutic gymnastics

Since the disease is quite dangerous and fraught with consequences, you need to act with extreme caution.

1. Do not start with complex asanas, choose only the simplest options for beginners, especially at the stage of intensive treatment.
2. Watch your breathing. Since the nervous system is affected, you need to try to relax. Overexcitement, rapid, intermittent and shallow breathing will not make the situation better.
3. Classes should be carried out in daily, but short sets, this will ensure a gradual and safe recovery without overexertion.
4. Before training, be sure to warm up. For example, you can perform the butterfly pose (Baddha Konasana) in dynamics, or the cat pose (Marjariasana).
5. If any discomfort occurs during training, it should be stopped.

Below are 5 simple asanas with pictures and descriptions that will help in the fight against sciatic nerve tension.

Why does sciatica occur?

The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back to the leg and is considered the largest and longest nerve in the body. When this nerve is irritated by disc compression, the patient develops a disorder known as sciatica, which is characterized by severe pain, also called sciatic pain.

Poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle, or physical overexertion may be the cause.

However, in rare cases, sciatica can be a symptom of diseases such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis.

Stenosis
Due to difficulties during movement, some people think that rest is the best relief.

However, certain physical exercises have been shown to be effective in reducing sciatic pain.

Exercise stimulates the supply of fluids and nutrients to the spine.

They keep it in good shape by preventing too much pressure in this area.

Today we would like to share with you 6 simple exercises that you should remember at the first sign of pain.

Leg stretching.

This type of leg stretch is known in yoga as pigeon pose and is interesting because it not only engages the leg muscles, but also tones the buttocks, relieves tension in the back and reduces the size of the belly.

How to do it?

Sit with your back straight, looking forward. Stretch your left leg back and then bend your right leg forward.

Support yourself using the palms of your hands and stretch slightly without bending your back.

Hold the position for 10 seconds. Rest and repeat with the other leg.