Are You Suffering From Sciatica?
Watch this video to learn about how it is formed.
What Causes Sciatica To Form?
Your nervous system is like a giant electrical grid.
An electrical nerve impulse travels from your brain to your lower back via your spinal cord.
Individual nerves originate from your spine and provide impulses to your lower body, which provide sensation and movement.
This is what enables you to move and experience sensations such as touch, heat, cold, and pain. Anything that obstructs this transmission can cause discomfort and complications.
The Common Symptoms Of Sciatica
Piriformis syndrome may begin suddenly as a result of an injury or may develop slowly from repeated irritation. Common causes include a fall onto the buttocks, strains, long-distance walking, stair climbing, or sitting on the edge of a hard surface. The condition is most common in 40-60-year-olds and affects women more often than men.
Sciatic arising from piriformis syndrome is one of the most treatable varieties and generally is relieved by the type of treatment provided in this office. The following home stretching exercises described are an important part of your recovery.
TREATMENT GOALS AND OUTCOME MEASURES
Your treatment will be most effective when scheduled 2 times per week for 2 weeks. After this initial course of treatment, we will reassess to make sure that you have met your initial treatment goal of at least 33% overall improvement.
EXERCISES THAT CAN BE DONE AT HOME
Supine Piriformis Stretch
Perform 1 set of 3 contract/relax
Lie flat on your back with your affected knee bent and your ankle touching the outside of your opposite leg. Grasp your knee and pull your thigh across your chest toward your opposite shoulder. If you are unable to comfortably reach your knee, grasp a thin towel wrapped around your knee. Against the resistance of your hand, try to push your knee outward for seven seconds. Relax and pull your knee further across your body towards your shoulder to increase the stretch.
Seated Groin Stretch
Perform 1 set of 3 contract/relax cycles, 2 times per day.
Sit with your knees bent and the soles of your feet together. Slowly allow your knees to drop away from each other, toward the floor. Grasp your ankles with your hands, allowing your elbows to rest on your knees. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in your groin. Against the resistance of your arms and elbows, push your knees upwards for seven seconds. Relax and slowly stretch your knees further into a butterfly position toward the floor.
Semi-Stiff Dead Lift
Perform 1 set of 15 reps, 2 times per day on each leg.
Begin standing with your thumbs on your rib cage and your fingers on the crests of your hip. Stand on one leg with your knee bent only slightly. Slowly flex forward from the hips, moving your chest toward the floor, keeping the back straight. Slowly return to an upright position.
Posterior Lunge
Perform 3 sets of 10 reps, 1 time per day.
Begin standing on one leg and slowly bend your knee to lower your hips toward the floor as though you are going to sit in a chair. Keep your knee positioned directly above your ankle and do not allow it to shift. Consciously contract your gluteal muscle on the planted leg side to return to the start position.
Contact us to find relief!
If you are experiencing the symptoms of back pain or sciatica, find relief with Heal Physiotherapy & Chiropractic North York today at Toronto, ON. Request your appointment to get started on the first steps toward recovery and living a comfortable life.
