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Strength & Conditioning >> Sciatica Help!!
| 11/18/12 2:30 PM | |
street187
Member Since: 8/14/10 Posts: 97 |
Recently found out i've got sciatica. What kinds of exercises should i be doing?Haven't been to the gym in like two weeks cause of the pain. Any help would be appreciated!! 
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| 11/19/12 6:39 AM | |
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Superman84
Member Since: 8/12/12 Posts: 6 |
Sorry to hear about the Sciatica. I suffer from the condition myself on occasion. I am not a medical professional but i'll tell you how i dealt with it. To begin with there are lots of videos on youtube about streatching to cure sciatica. I'm sure it works for some people, but not for me. I had to first make a lifestyle change. The main culprit was remaining in the sitting position for too long. Sadly I work in an office. This combined with driving in a car for too long flares up my sciatica. So I try to stand up more often, even at work. I limit car journeys where possible and try to take breaks when driving. Doing this for a couple of weeks helped to alleviate the condition. Secondly weight training. I have been lifting free weights for most of my life. Too much bench press even with perfect form caused the sciatica to appear again. Even over-doing press ups caused it to re-appear. So perhaps lay off the traditional free weight exercises until you recover. I know this may cause some eyes to roll on this forum, but me switching to kettlebells has not caused my sciatica to flare up again. I know there is nothing inherently magical about kettlebells (just blob of metal with handle) but the popular movements assocaited with the tool truly rehabilitated by lower back and cured the sciatica. You could just use a dumbell of course. So in summary, stand more, sit less and lay of the typical free weights. |
| 11/20/12 12:03 AM | |
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Trainjump
Member Since: 4/17/03 Posts: 171 |
I too am a chronic sciatica sufferer. I too am not a medical professional. My keys to maintenance of the condition are as follows: With a flare up, take time, the body has a propensity to heal itself. If you are patient enough, it will subside on its own. Do not jump into stretching and preventative exercise while you are in a flare up, that only aggravates it. Watch your size & weight, especially your gut, and focus on improving your posture. This is the time to eat clean and not over indulge in self pity Humble yourself and walk. Walking opens up the hips and will temporarily relieve pain if you are going through a flare up Maintenance of the condition: I lift weights (deadlift, squat, sprint, run hills, etc.) I don't pursue massive poundages like I used to, but I look to get stronger incrementally while using strict form. I try different exercises to see if it helps my condition. I am using hip thrusts with some benefit. Again,I don't push the poundage, but concentrate on form. before each workout, I use a bodyweight warm-up and focus on opening up my hip/pelvic area. When I feel my lower back tighten up, I back off the training a bit. Supplements: I use magnesium and it helps me out a lot. I try not to miss a dose. This acts as a natural muscle relaxant and has a lot of other attributes. If I am in a bad way, I use a natural anti-inflammatory enzyme called Serrapeptase |
| 11/20/12 12:36 AM | |
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Keep if professional
Member Since: 9/28/12 Posts: 204 |
Did some front squats with shitty form a week or so ago and it's been pretty bad. I find glute stretches offer temporary relief. That and sleeping on the floor. |
| 11/20/12 3:46 PM | |
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street187
Member Since: 8/14/10 Posts: 102 |
Thanks for the info guys. Doc said to work on core exercises and go swimming... So I'm going to try that and your recommendations.
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| 12/2/12 1:13 PM | |
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12ealdeal
Member Since: 1/1/12 Posts: 1645 |
HOLY FUCK I came to S&C to make a thread about the same thing. though I am not sure what it is exactly I have....I have an appt with my GP next week. anyway in the mean time... I have had a pain in my upper left buttock/lower back for 4 weeks. I initially thought it was from over exertion at the gym so I stopped for a bit, then thought the chair I sit in all day was throwing my alignment off. So i got rid of the chair. BUT StILL THERE IS THIS PAIN. It's not like it's a brutal PAIN (like bruised ribs), more like FUCKING annoying pain (as if there was a funny bone in my ass....figuratively) i can't completely stretch my lower body as I use to. I can't touch my toes either without this sensation. it doesn't run through my entire leg (just glutes/hams) and its just the left side. It's soooo annoying! Does this sound like sciatica? there is some great info you all have shared already. Thanks!!! anyway. To those who have it. What caused it? How did you know? How did you find out? What have you done to fix it (if not already mentioned) |
| 12/2/12 1:14 PM | |
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12ealdeal
Member Since: 1/1/12 Posts: 1646 |
street187 - Thanks for the info guys. Doc said to work on core exercises and go swimming... So I'm going to try that and your recommendations. what kind of core? It sucks cause primarily i enjoy doing "in-n-outs" and "scissor kicks" for my core. but as that requires me being on the upper part of my butt I just can't do it anymore. |
| 12/2/12 1:15 PM | |
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12ealdeal
Member Since: 1/1/12 Posts: 1647 |
Superman84 - Sorry to hear about the Sciatica. fuck man, how is benching the cause of the problem? that's messed. I bench often too, but never thought it was related. care to expand? |
| 12/3/12 4:05 AM | |
JFC1001
7 
Member Since: 10/28/11 Posts: 100 |
12ealdeal - HOLY FUCK I came to S&C to make a thread about the same thing. though I am not sure what it is exactly I have....I have an appt with my GP next week. anyway in the mean time...Google "spinal slump stretch". Basically sit on the end of a table with you legs hanging down. Tuck in your chin to your chest and clasp your hands behind your back. Lift the leg on effective side like your doing leg extension and then try and pivot the foot like your kicking yourself in the head. If you scream you have sciatic nerve damage. Lift your chin up the pain stops. See a physio at this point.
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| 12/12/12 12:24 AM | |
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street187
Member Since: 8/14/10 Posts: 106 |
12ealdeal -Slowly work on being able to stretch those muscles correctly. I've recently gotten back to the gym and bought a yoga matt so i can stretch every morning and night... Seems to be working. For the most part, the core exercises i've been doing are just leg ups plank. Im going to slowly incorporate new exercises when i feel comfortable. I do swimming for cardio now and have not ran on the treadmill. For weightlifting i have been avoiding deadlift and squats other then that i still do all the other lifts with proper form. Honestly for this kind of problem you have to take it step by step... Don't walk into the gym thinking you will be able to do everything that you could do prior to injury.Superman84 - Sorry to hear about the Sciatica.
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| 12/12/12 12:30 AM | |
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street187
Member Since: 8/14/10 Posts: 107 |
My bad quoted the wrong thing above... For the bench press i can feel it flaring up too. I think its because its a compound lift and too much pressure is applied on the lower back when lifting it upwards.
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