Sciatica is the term often given to nerve pain travelling down the leg.
There’s a common misunderstanding about sciatic nerve pain—that excruciating burning, shooting, tingling pain that travels from your buttock, down your leg to your foot and toes.
Contrary to popular belief, sciatic nerve pain doesn’t usually strike because of an injury to the sciatic nerve itself. Rather, it’s usually cused by muscular dysfunction in the piriformis muscle also known as piriformis syndrome or a bulging disc hit a nerve roos and sends pain down the leg.
Symptoms can include weakness, numbness, pins and needles, electric shock sensations, and aching. The pain can vary from infrequent and irritating, to constant and incapacitating.Perform some gentle back and leg stretches to maintain flexibility in your tissues and encourage your body’s natural healing and recovery process.
Strengthening exercises will help to prevent your back from getting weaker and can reduce your chances of experiencing a recurrence in the future.
Try to link your exercises to activities you do regularly and perform these exercises regularly and gently. Pain is normal and to be expected so don’t worry if some of
the exercises are uncomfortable.
Just do what you can
You may need to shorten the amount of activity you do at first such as walking or swimming, but these activities can be built up gradually over time.
Perform some gentle back stretches to maintain flexibility in your spine and reduce constant pressure on your nerves and discs.
Bend your knees so that the feet are flat on the floor.
Reach underneath your knee and pull the knee in towards your chest as far as you can go comfortably.
Ensure you grab behind the thigh and not on top of the knee to avoid compressing the knee joint.
Hold this position.
HOW TO PREVENT SCIATICA
Avoid sitting for long long periods of time
Remove wallets or coins from your back pockets,keep them empty
Avoid ill fitting footwear or shoes that have no arch or heel support
Practice yoga and pilates exercises
Stay as active as possible
Stretch
Drink plenty of water to help keep discs hydrated
TREATMENT FOR SCIATICA
Physical therapy
Physiotherapy exercises
Massage
Acupuncture
Cupping massage
Magnet therapy
Dry needling
Lumbar and sacral joint mobilisations
chiropractic
