When your sciatic nerve is pinched, whether it be from a herniated disc, bone spurs, or injury, it’s actually better to move your body around than to rest. However, bigger issues arise when people complete the wrong exercises or attempt the right exercises in the wrong way.
Assisted stretch practitioners know all about sciatica and how to properly manipulate your body to relieve pain. They are professionally trained to increase your mobility, reduce discomfort, and make you feel better, overall.
Do You Have Sciatica?
Back pain can be the result of many things, so how can you tell if you have sciatica? The discomfort you feel from a pinched sciatic nerve is typically very distinct. It will usually begin around your lower back and radiate down one of your legs.
The degree of pain can vary. It could feel extremely sharp or it could be a mild ache. You may also notice the sensation of an electric shock or burning.
Some of the Exercises You Should Avoid
While some stretches and exercises can prove to be a simple and effective way to relieve your pain, others can do some damage. Let’s take a closer look at some of the exercises you should stay away from.
Bent-Over Row
Bent-over rows can benefit your sciatic nerve–if they are completed correctly. As effective as this method is, it’s not recommended unless you know exactly what you’re doing. An improper form can cause injury, so even if you’re technically doing the correct exercise, it could lead to the opposite of the desired result.
Completing a bent-over row in poor form could lead to a herniated disc, one of the main causes of sciatic nerve pain. Therefore, if you’re not careful, you could end up compounding the problem.
Double Leg Lift
While you should be attempting to stay active while your sciatic nerve is pinched, you don’t want to overdo things. While stretching, many people will try to do too much, which results in overstretching.
This can easily happen with the double leg lift, which is completed by lifting your legs while lying on your back. While this can help with the relief of back pain, your body may not be accustomed to this type of strenuous activity.
However, there is something that can be done to work around the strain. Instead of completing a double leg lift, a single leg lift can be just as effective. It puts less stress on your body, meaning you have less of a chance of worsening your nerve pain.
Abdominal Stretches
If an exercise is considered an abdominal stretch, it’s best to avoid it completely. Abdominal stretches tend to add pressure to your spine, which can compress the sciatic nerve. Compression of the sciatic nerve is what causes sciatica in the first place, so completing these types of stretches will bring a higher probability of increasing your symptoms.
Leg Circles
Leg circles are self-explanatory. You will rotate your leg as if you were drawing a circle in the air. This is another stretch that can irritate the sciatic nerve. This time, it would be due to how you are jolting your hamstrings.
Essentially, like abdominal stretches, most leg stretches will cause more problems for your sciatica. The key is to complete the types of exercises that focus on the back muscles. However, as we said before, the nerve runs down the back so you must be extremely careful. Enlisting the help of a professional who is well-versed and experienced in nerve pain will allow you to complete these stretches effectively and correctly.
Try Assisted Stretching Instead
Rather than dealing with a bunch of research to figure out what you should be doing, having the assistance of an expert by your side may be the best way to go. A stretch practitioner can help determine the specific types of stretches you’ll need to reduce sciatica pain.
Use a Percussion Massage Gun
That’s right, use a percussion massage gun to help with the sciatic pain. A massage gun like Exogun DreamPro can help with the pain by increasing the blood flow. Exogun will help releasing pressure on the nerve as it relieves the muscles surrounding the sciatic nerve. It increases the oxygen flow towards the muscles and manage the blood circulation as well.
Avoid Worsening Your Sciatica Pain
The last thing you want to do is make your pain worse than it already is. Without a background in how the body responds to certain movements, you could be exposing yourself to that unfortunate result if you aren’t extremely careful.
Seeing a professional is highly recommended. You won’t have to worry about injuring yourself even more, and you get to experience the relief you’ve been looking for without putting in a lot of effort. An assisted stretching session can make all the difference by reducing your pain and making you feel a lot better.