I have recently injured my sciatic nerve and its KILLING my leg days and hampering my running. What sort of excercises can I do to recover from this injury?
|
-
06-19-2005, 09:22 AM #1
-
06-19-2005, 10:50 AM #2
Do you know how you injured the sciatic?
Hello:
Sciatica SUX. Sorry to hear you're suffering.
Have you been to an orthopedic doc to determine what's causing it? I'm assuming it's a disc in your lower back that's bulging or herniated. That's what causes most sciatica.
Anyway, I had the same thing a few years ago, and here's what was recommended to me by various health professionals:
What you DON'T want to do:
1. Sitting (miserable strain on the lumbar spine). Lying on your stomach is best. If you work an office job, get up and walk around as much as possible and don't sit for longer than 20 minutes if you can help it.
2. Push thru the pain. You want to go easy on this thing for at least 4 weeks.
3. Do any overhead lifting.
What you DO want to do:
1. Stretch your erector spinae muscles.
2. Walking, not running (I know, sux).
3. Swimming (breast stroke is least likely to twist the spine...kickboard is good to whip up the heartrate with flutter kicks)
4. Ibuprofin
After the pain subsides, consider whether it might help to address the issues that may cause low back problems:
1. Tight hamstrings
2. Imbalance between ab strength and low back strength
Anyway, the main thing is that you do not want to push for a few weeks. Consider it a few weeks of bonding with your erector spinae muscles and becoming one with the pool Try not to focus on how much it sux to be out of the intense training for a few weeks...it will suck much worse to push now and pay later.
Best to you...hope it gets better soon!!
And if you haven't seen a doc and it doesn't get any better in a few weeks...ring one, ASAP.
-
06-19-2005, 11:42 PM #3
Rest/Recovery Time
Originally Posted by cruz610
First off- I would take a recovery week. Do some stretching, light walking. You need to ice donw your lower back and SI joints at least 4-5 times a day for 10-15 minutes.
The big IF is whether the symptoms go away with taking it easy or If you need medical treat ment. Otherwise go see your doctor/chiropractor.
Best of Luck
Pismo
-
06-21-2005, 06:55 AM #4
Some Do's and Don'ts.
Do's:- Go to the doctor, he'll probably give you a painkiller and some other medicines to heal the disc and the nerve. Take these regularly for about a week.
- Do stretching exercises and exercises to strengthen your back everyday [Physiotherapy]
- Lie down for maximum amount of time.
- Walk, it helps.
Don'ts:- For about a month do not do any weight training.
- Never bend with your back, bend using your knees.
- Don't twist while you lie down, lie down straight.
- Do not sit for a long period of time.
- No bicycles, no bikes, no sport, no nothing!
DJGRBX
-
-
06-21-2005, 01:13 PM #5
- Join Date: Feb 2004
- Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
- Age: 60
- Posts: 8,511
- Rep Power: 191572
I feel for you cruz I have the exact same problem right now. I've been out of the gym for nearly a month and it's killing me. It feels better as now it only bothers me first thing in the morning when I get up. I'm going to wait until July and if it's not 100% I will visit the doctor. Sounds like some good advice was given in the above post. I'll have to check back later to see if some more people give some more advice.... Hope you feel better bro....
NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!
screw everybody but the canes and the oil ;)
-
07-05-2005, 06:50 PM #6
sciatica
Just went to the doc with similar problems only mine also affects my lower abs. He said the best thing for it is to do stretching exercises for the hips and spinal erectors. So far so good for me, we'll see about the long-term gonna take a few weeks off from lifting i think. The stretches hurt a little bit, but i know they're working, they're like if you lie down, shoulders on the floor, and bring one leg over the other so in the completed motion your legs are making a 90 degrees angle.
-
07-07-2005, 09:25 AM #7
-
06-02-2013, 11:52 AM #8
- Join Date: Jun 2011
- Location: United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 32
- Posts: 2
- Rep Power: 0
This has helped me so much I've recently been diagnosed with the same problem (took them 6 months to diagnose) today it has flared up badly can't walk properly so bed rest and after reading this its time to take a month off the gym and the weights :-( I'm just afraid I'm going to lose my muscle and gain fat if I replace the weights with yoga walking and swimming this should be ok until my back is better?
Thanks
-
-
06-02-2013, 01:06 PM #9
- Join Date: May 2013
- Location: New York, New York, United States
- Posts: 10,831
- Rep Power: 105894
What my old PT told me is sciatica is a symptom, not an injury on its own--generally there's another cause. In a lot of cases, the cause is a disc issue or hamstrings, like people said. In other cases it's piriformis syndrome, which you can fix by doing some exercises to strengthen your hips/adductors/abductors and whatever else might be imbalanced. I got sciatica after I had surgery and lay in bed for too long and then started running again--glutes didn't fire, piriformis did, and bam. It SUCKS, so painful and no easy fix (though yoga did help me). Definitely avoid impact and get to a PT if you can to dx the problem behind it.
-
06-03-2013, 06:28 AM #10
- Join Date: Jun 2011
- Location: United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 32
- Posts: 2
- Rep Power: 0
The doc said my disc had bulged and damaged the nerve, the nerve had then build scar tissue around it and its rubbing he gave me exercises to do which iv been doing and thought it was better so started cardio and biking etc again.. However im still getting muscular pain up my back and in my glutes and a bit in my quads could this be due to doing too much too soon with the cardio side of things as iv kept up the weights. Now since last week its so painful if i walk too much i have to stop and either sit or ideally lay down back muscles are so tight and around the bottom of my spone where the nerve is is very painful. Going to rest for couple weeks and maybe return to docs if not got better. Just sucks to be out of the gym!
-
06-04-2013, 05:06 AM #11
When I was 18 I cracked my L3 and L4 which resulted in pretty hectic sciatica. my Advice is REST. Do not do anything, even stretch. you need that disc to relax. Once you're ready to start stretching and such, I would recommend swimming. I did freestyle with a Snorkle so i didnt have to twist. After about a month of swimming everyday I could start getting back into light exercise.
most importantly, Just rest and don't rush things
-
06-06-2013, 09:51 AM #12
- Join Date: Jan 2005
- Location: Kansas, United States
- Posts: 2,862
- Rep Power: 2068
This is going to sound weird/funny/etc but Accupunture has helped a half dozen people/athletes I know who have had issues with their sciatic nerve flaring up. If I ever have an issue with mine its the first thing Im going to try.
Director of Sports Performance
NSCA-RSCC & CSCS , NASM-CES
Nike SPARQ Trainer
Vist www.TopSpeedTraining.com, also find us on social media:
http://www.********.com/TopSpeedSportsPerformance
Twitter & Instagram = @TopSpeedLLC
-
-
04-17-2018, 03:02 AM #13
Sciatic nerve injury from gunshot on the buttocks led to my footdrop
Hello guys,
I'm new here and I'd like to share my story. I got shot my robbers at a supermarket on my left buttocks.. It took three weeks before the doctors noticed I had a footdrop from the injury. I started complaining of the shocking pains like electric shock n my doctor said the bullet probably damaged my sciatic nerve..
It's been three months since the injury and two months since I started therapy. Am currently wearing an Afo.. It really helps as my foot is numb ...with physical therapy so far, electric stimulating n infrared.. I have gained strength on my leg except for my foot
Currently situation is... Footdrop still there, I can't twist or make movements with my toes, I can't raise or bend my foot from ankle and my leg n calf is becoming smaller.... Though I feel much stronger n can do a whole lot than before....i really wish to hear recovery stories... Am really scared if my footdrop will recover....Katey
-
04-18-2018, 10:54 AM #14
Bookmarks