Sciatica

palo

Anyone got any advice for managing sciatica.

I am keen to try to exercise but am quite scared now as every time I do I end up in agony with some part of my body and unable to weight bear for weeks as it settles down.

It started last week after a 5 minute hula hooping session, and 20 mins weight training.

stickywicket

I got sciatica last year for the first time since my second pregnancy 40 odd years ago when Number 2 son sat on my sciatic nerve for the last month or so.

This time it was due to orthotists failing - repeatedly - to compensate for my ever-increasing discrepancy in leg length.

My GP referred me for physio, I did the exercises and couldn't believe how quickly it sorted itself out. The physio told me that, if you treat nerve pain quickly it can just clear up for good.

Mine has done and I hope yours will too. Sorry, I can't remember the exercises but, in any case, as with all exercises, you're best having them demonstrated by a proper physio who will then check you're doing them properly. (It's always much easier to do them 'improperly' ) Good luck.

palo

Thank you SW. It eased a lot from when it started, a week ago Sunday.

My worry is that this is the 2nd time I have tried to start an exercise program this year and ended up in agony, last time it was my dodgy knee, and couldn't put weight on it for 2 weeks and months before I could walk properly - and that was after 5 mins of cycling!

I must do some exercise as I am putting on weight again, but it seems to be a losing battle currently.

daffy2

I wonder if it would be worth looking into less 'active' forms of exercise? Something like yoga(hatha rather than the newer extreme types which seem to be alternative aerobics!) or tai chi, which involve slow controlled movements make it much easier to observe feedback from your body and thus reduce the chance of tweaking something. Learning how to breathe, and concentrate the mind, while doing the moves is useful in everyday life as well, and may help with pain, as it relaxes the body. Tense muscles can be very painful, which can be confused with joint pain. If you've been used to things like running the slow forms of exercise may appear not very effective - but believe me, if you do them properly you will know about it - but in a good way! A form of exercise which involves lots of different moves also means you can avoid things which might aggravate certain parts of the body or focus on areas which could do with strengthening - a competent teacher can work with you on this.

palo

I am a great believer in yoga and have practiced it since I was 15.

I am trying to lose weight hence the cardio.