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Good news for patients suffering from sciatica for many years, there are certain exercises that have been developed a physical therapist , named Robin McKenzie( known as the McKenzie Method) which can help in abating the pain resulting from sciatic nerve damage and also help in somewhat preventing it. These exercises are developed in ways which can suit the comfort level of an individual. These include positions and stretches which help in relieving the pain in the legs and feet and centralize it in the lower back or produce “centralization of symptoms through extension of the spine or backward bending.

Simply put, for people experiencing lower back pain which runs down the leg (sciatica) the symptoms gets centralized in the butt or lower back. Although the pain in the butt and lower back remains same or becomes worse, the pain lessens or leaves the leg or legs. But with time through centralizing the pain in the butt and lower back, the pain in the butt and lower back will also start to see improvement. Extension of the spine , flexion or forward bending, side bending, and rotation are just some techniques included in the McKenzie exercises.

During sciatica treatment the most important thing to remember is that one should look for positions that reduce the pain furthest away from the spine and centralize it in the lower back. Different positions should be tried for a period of 30 seconds to figure out which is best suited for the individual. Listed below are exercises helpful for sciatica treatment –

1. Lie on the floor in a supine position with stomach up with the aid of elbows while keeping the hips or pelvis down on the floor.    This position should be held for thirty seconds to a minute. Try to bend the upper body to the left, then the right, to gauge which position centralizes the pain in the best manner. This can be done all day long, when the pain worsens.
2. This exercise is rightfully named the “The Cat Stretch” which involves getting one’s hands and knees and then slowly relaxing the back and stomach muscles so that the stomach hangs down and the lower back curves downward, then keeping your head up and looking forward. This position should be held for thirty seconds to a minute.

The next two exercises requires an exercise ball, alternatively one can stack up several pillows instead. The aim is to provide extension to the lower back.

1. Try lying on the exercise ball or pillows on your back which will allow your back to curve backwards. This position should be maintained for several minutes with the head being raised periodically to prevent feeling light headed.
2. Another technique is Forward Stretching, which can be done on an exercise ball or by lying on a stack of pillows and even the arm of a sofa. But this exercise should be done for short bursts of time as forward bending can worsen the problems with the discs in the lower back. Unless advised by therapists or doctors this exercise should not be done for more than a minute.

But what’s disheartening is that doctors today focus on the current condition of the patients rather than preventing sciatica from happening in the first place.