Exercising with lower back pain might seem to be quite challenging for many. If you know the right sciatica exercises, you would never have any trouble with continuing your regular fitness program. You would be astonished to know that experts prescribe certain progressive and controlled exercises as part of sciatica treatment programs. These exercises tend to serve mainly two purposes. One is to reduce the sciatica pain temporarily and the other is to provide a condition for preventing future relapse of the pain. Before you step into a sciatica exercise program, you should always check with a physical therapist to know the right exercises for you. When performed properly, these exercises could prove to be helpful in reducing sciatica pain to a significant extent.
Top 10 Sciatica Exercises:
1. Press-ups:
A common type of exercise for sciatica, often prescribed to patients having back pain, is press-ups. This exercise is particularly helpful for improving the strength and flexibility of the back, legs and buttocks. Lie on your stomach while keeping the arms bent and palms on the floor. Gently press up the front portion of the body from the stomach. Count 10 and come down. Repeat the process thrice.
2. Curl-Up Exercise:
The curl-up exercise is helpful for the abdominal muscles. Practicing this exercise is good to provide support to the back. Lie on your back and keep the knees bent. Keep the arms folded on your chest, and lift forward your head and shoulder from the hips while trying to touch the knees. Repeat this posture thrice as well.
3. Extension Exercise:
Extension exercise is also a common and popular exercise for relieving leg and back pain. To perform this, lie on your stomach and stretch the legs straight. Raise your right arm and left leg together. Come down and repeat the process with your left arm and right leg. Practice this for ten times a day.
4. Leg Raise:
Helpful for the lower abdominal muscles, leg raise is also helpful to reduce sciatica pain effectively. Lie on your stomach while keeping your hands below the head. Raise one leg above the ground to create a 45 degree angle. Hold it for 5 seconds and come down. Next, follow the same with the other leg. Repeat the process 5 times for each leg.
5. Leg Lift in Water:
Doctors often prescribe several water exercises for sciatica pain. This process is the same as leg raise. Repetition of the exercise is the same as well.
6. Aerobics:
Besides these sciatica exercises, general aerobics can be performed too for overall fitness. Aerobics is a gentle method of working out. Hence, it is safe to perform.
7. Hamstring Stretching:
The hamstring is a group of three muscles located in the back part of the thigh. Hamstring stretching is quite effective to reduce and control lower back pain. One should avoid bouncing while practicing this exercise, as it may cause muscle spasms. The process is almost the same as leg raise. You need to raise each of the legs to create a right angle. Hold the leg for ten seconds and release.
8. Forward Bending:
For lower back pain, forward bending is quite helpful. This exercise is good for strengthening the abdominal muscles too.
9. Back Flexion:
Lie on your back and gently pull your knees to the chest until you can feel a comfortable stretch. Return to the previous position after thirty seconds.
10. Hook-Lying March:
This is an advanced type of exercise, meant for sciatica patients. You need to march in one place while keeping the body in a hook-lying position. You need to raise each leg 3 to 4 inches above the ground and try to march at least for 30 seconds.
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