There is good news for individuals who suffer from sciatica. Doing spine exercises can stop the painful symptoms of sciatica.
Although sciatica usually only affects one side of the body, the pain is often severe. Sciatica pain travels along the path of the sciatica nerve, which runs from the lower back through the hips and buttocks and then down each leg. Pain results when the sciatica nerve is irritated or injured.
The most common cause of sciatica is a herniated disk or bone spur from the vertebrae causing the spine to pinch or compress part of the nerve. This compression of the nerve results in inflammation and pain. Many people also experience some numbness in the leg affected by the sciatica.
Sciatica symptoms vary. They range from a mild ache to a sharp sensation of pain, with some individuals experiencing a burning feeling or nearly intolerably severe pain. Sitting for prolonged periods of time usually makes the symptoms worse. Some people experience numbness and tingling in different areas of their leg at the same time. Another symptom is muscle weakness in the leg or foot.
Sciatica pain often causes people to want to rest in bed. However, doing that for more than a day or two can cause more harm than good. It is advisable to perform exercises designed to alleviate the pain and strengthen the muscles in the affected areas of the body. Strong muscles do a better job of supporting the body. On the other hand, weak muscles do not provide adequate support for the back. Therefore, not doing exercises to strengthen the affected areas can result in more strain to the back or further injury. That often leads to a recurring cycle of pain.
However, doing the right exercises in the proper form is also important to get good results. The easiest way to determine which exercises are appropriate is to consult a back specialist in Houston.
Although the pain from mild sciatica often goes away in time on its own, it is a symptom of a problem. Most people who experience sciatica pain even once never want to experience it again. However, many individuals will have a recurrence in the future. In addition, untreated sciatica has the potential to cause permanent damage to the nerve, so individuals could benefit from seeing a back specialist to learn the proper exercises and strengthen the affected muscles.
In fact, doing the proper spine exercises not only relieves sciatica pain but also helps to prevent a recurrence by conditioning the muscles. Ask a back specialist in Houston to recommend the right spine exercises. The specialist will also provide training in the proper way to perform the exercises.
Spine exercises usually focus on strengthening the core muscles of the abdomen and lower back. These are the muscles that support the body for correct posture and alignment. That, in turn, helps prevent compression or pinching of the sciatica nerve.
Without exercise and movement, muscles become deconditioned and can become too weak to provide adequate support for the back. That weakness can result in back strain or additional injuries to the spine that causes more pain. Moreover, exercise helps to move fluids and nutrients into the spinal discs, keeping them healthy and helping to keep them from pressuring the sciatica nerve.
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