Prevention of Sciatica
A common diagnosis we see with patients being referred to us by doctors is sciatica. Sciatica is pain that originates in your lower back and travels down your leg sometimes reaching to your foot. This pain is caused when your sciatic nerve is irritated, inflammed or compressed. Sciatica can last days, weeks or even months. The chances of getting sciatica increases with age. Sciatica can be debilitating, good news is there are ways to prevent it!
- Exercise
Aerobic activity like walking, jogging and swimming is great. Strength training using weights or even just your body weight is beneficial. Exercises focused on flexibility like yoga, Tai chi, and pilates will help keep you moving. - Strengthen your core
Your core includes the muscles of your abdomen, back, pelvis and buttocks. Strengthening these muscle groups will keep your spine strong. Some examples of great core exercises are: squats, planks, dead bugs, bird dogs and bridges. - Avoid sitting for long periods of time
Prolong periods of sitting puts pressure on the discs and ligaments in the low back. Some jobs require long periods of sitting so it is recommended to take frequent breaks to walk around or stretch and to help reposition yourself properly when you sit back down. - Manage your weight
Being over weight increases your chance of getting sciatica and also causes slower healing from sciatica. Increased weight puts pressure on your spine and can lead to herniated discs. - Good Posture
Pay attention to your body position in sitting and standing. Avoid slouching by pulling shoulder blades back and down. Change position frequently to take pressure off body structure.
If you have had back pain for longer than 1-2 weeks, I would advise seeking a health professional such as a physiotherapist or chiropractor that can diagnose the problem and explain what has been injured and guide you on a treatment plan that will help restore balance in the spine.
Karen Evers R.Kin