The sciatica is pain that occurs at any point along the path of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back to the end of the legs, passing through the hips and buttocks. It is a pain that implies that something is not going well in some section of this route, so it is very important to detect the origin of the problem in order to end this acute pain.
What causes sciatica?
Sciatica can be caused by different reasons:
- The main one is for a pinched nerve at the level of lumbar roots 4 and 5 or sacral roots 1,2 or 3. This impingement occurs due to a herniated disc in the spine or the appearance of a bone spur (excessive growth of bone) in the vertebrae .
- By spinal stenosis, which is when a narrowing in the spine occurs, mainly due to age, and causes noticeable pain.
- By spondylolisthesis, which is when a vertebra slides out of place and sits on top of the lower one.
- For some degenerative injury.
Beyond these causes, there are also certain factors that predispose a person to suffer this particular pain, such as age, if you usually have a sedentary life, the type of work you do daily, if you suffer from obesity, diabetes …
Exercises to relieve pain
- Sit on a surface that allows you to dangle your feet. Bend your back until you feel your lower back stretch. Lift your leg on the side that is affected and keep it straight while you play the game of fully stretching your foot and picking it up. At the same time, the neck looks up or down, following the rhythm of the foot. For example, when your foot is stretched, your neck will look down, but when you pick your foot up and it’s looking up, your head will also look up at the ceiling. Start by practicing it for 5 minutes, but you see increasing the practice time until you can reach 20-30, which is the goal.
- Exercise very similar to the first. Position yourself in the same way, with your leg straight, but take a handkerchief and run it over the sole of your foot, with each hand holding one end of the fabric. Now you will have to perform the same game between the foot and the head.
- Continue in the same posture, sitting on the edge of a surface that allows your feet to dangle. Raise your leg at the same time that you stretch your neck towards your chest, and lower your leg while your gaze descends until you look at your navel. Aim for 10-15 reps.
- Sit on the bed so that you can fully stretch your legs on the surface. You see moving your foot from front to back, and make the movement of the head at the same time, looking at the ceiling and towards your navel, alternately.
- Stretch on your side in bed. Put one arm under your head so that it is aligned with your spine. Then move both legs forward so that they are hanging off the bed. Take a deep breath, and when you exhale, stretch your upper leg forward. When you breathe in, bring your two legs together.
These exercises will help you relieve the pain you feel from sciatica in a very simple way.
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