Why You Should Keep Exercising with Sciatica, and Tips to Make It Easier

Key Takeaways:

1. Sciatica is an irritation of the sciatic nerve. It's the longest nerve in your body and runs down the back of the legs.

2. It’s common to want to rest and avoid movement when sciatica pain strikes, but gentle exercise helps.

3. Targeted stretches and strengthening exercises are both helpful for sciatica (see videos below).

Hinge Health offers virtual physical therapy and more to help you manage sciatica. Learn more.

If you’ve ever experienced a sharp pain that shoots from your low back down your leg, you may be accustomed to sciatic pain. Sciatica refers to a host of symptoms that result from irritation to the large nerves which begin in your lower back and supply sensation all the way down to your foot. It’s very common and — although challenging to deal with at times — very likely to be helped by activity, including stretching, strengthening, and cardio exercises. 

“There are a lot of different things that contribute to sciatica, and many can be treated with exercise,” says Keesha Vaughn, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. That’s why movement is medicine is the mantra of our healthcare team and why Hinge Health members, including those with sciatica, attest that exercise therapy makes a big difference in their ability to get back to their lives. “Before I started Hinge Health, I was having almost constant sciatic nerve pain in my right leg,” one member shared with us recently. “Now, I only have that pain every now and then, and when I do have pain it generally goes away with some stretching.”

Here, learn more about sciatica — what causes it, how it feels — and how exercises from our Hinge Health physical therapists can help prevent it from coming back.

¿Qué es la ciática?

La ciática es una irritación del nervio ciático, que es el nervio más largo del cuerpo, que va desde las caderas hasta la pierna y el pie. Envía mensajes que te permiten moverte y sentir sensaciones en tu pierna. 

La ciática a menudo se aísla en un lado del cuerpo, aunque puede afectar ambos lados. La presentación clásica de la ciática es el dolor nervioso que comienza en la parte baja de la espalda y recorre toda la parte posterior de la pierna. Pero los síntomas de la ciática pueden ocurrir en cualquier lugar a lo largo del camino del nervio: en la cadera, el trasero, el muslo, la rodilla o el pie. Algunas personas describen la ciática como un dolor agudo, punzante o ardiente. Puede experimentar debilidad, hormigueo o entumecimiento. Los síntomas pueden ser leves o graves, molestos o insoportables. 

"La flexión (o flexión hacia adelante), que estira el nervio, tiende a ser más desencadenante, pero el cuerpo de cada persona es diferente", dice el Dr. Vaughn. Un escenario común: "Te agachas para recoger algo, por ejemplo, tu niño pequeño, y el nervio se tensa y tienes ese dolor eléctrico que se irradia". 

¿El ejercicio es bueno para la ciática? 

Cuando el dolor ciático ataca, es posible que se sienta inclinado a descansar tanto como sea posible. Y ciertamente está bien reducir la escala y tomárselo con calma durante unos días. Sin embargo, lo ideal es que realmente quieras seguir moviéndote. Trate de seguir con sus actividades habituales tanto como sea posible y haga algunos ejercicios y estiramientos suaves, ya que estas son las herramientas que ayudan a su cuerpo a sanar mejor. Sí, puede implicar algo de dolor. Pero no, eso no significa que estés empeorando el problema. De hecho, "algún tipo de movimiento, sea lo que sea que te parezca, es útil por varias razones", dice el Dr. Vaughn. Entre ellas se encuentran:

• Aumento de la fuerza muscular. Un centro (núcleo) fuerte (los músculos abdominales, de la espalda y pélvicos) sostiene la columna vertebral y puede aliviar parte del peso de los tejidos circundantes. Al involucrar y fortalecer esos músculos, puede ayudar a aliviar el dolor ciático y evitar que se agrave en el futuro. 

• Rigidez reducida. El ejercicio puede ayudar a mejorar la movilidad y la sensibilidad del nervio ciático, lo que hace que sea menos probable que sea una fuente de brotes de dolor.  

En pocas palabras, el estiramiento ayuda a limitar el dolor relacionado con la ciática. "Los músculos tensos pueden ser problemáticos para los nervios", explica el Dr. Vaughn. "Pero estirar los músculos hace que sea más fácil que los nervios se muevan", lo que puede reducir el dolor. Esto no significa que los músculos tensos siempre causen dolor nervioso, o cualquier dolor, pero los músculos tensos pueden ser un factor en su dolor si tiene antecedentes de ciática o está experimentando un brote de dolor actualmente. 

Para aprovechar al máximo tus estiramientos, recuerda:

• Calienta con actividad aeróbica ligera. Si no puedes hacer ejercicios de calentamiento, aplica calor húmedo antes de estirarte.

• Inclínate en el estiramiento y sujétalo. No rebotes en el estiramiento.

• No fuerces un estiramiento. Algunos estiramientos pueden ser incómodos, especialmente al principio, pero si descubres que un estiramiento simplemente causa demasiada incomodidad, incluso cuando modificas la forma en que lo haces, tómate un descanso durante una semana y vuelve a visitarlo más tarde.

Regardless of where along the sciatic nerve pathway you feel symptoms, these four stretches recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists can help. “They’re very safe, so they offer low risk and high reward,” says Dr. Vaughn.

In addition to stretching, strengthening exercises are a must if you’re prone to sciatica, says Dr. Vaughn. Targeting your core muscle can be particularly helpful in easing pain and preventing future flares. “A strong core promotes a strong back, which can help with back and sciatic pain,” says Dr. Vaughn. To increase muscle strength, give these top exercises recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists a try. 

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

Are Walking and Cardio Good for Sciatica?

In a word, yes! “Cardio is going to support your body’s ability to bounce back from an episode of low back pain or sciatica,” says Dr. Vaughn. Aerobic exercise (e.g., walking, running, cycling — anything that gets your heart rate up) improves blood flow, flexibility, and core strength. These are all key factors in a strong, healthy spine. It also promotes the release of endorphins, your body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals. 

Any sort of cardio is a good option. Even if you’re experiencing a sciatic pain flare, it’s still a good idea to keep moving, but maybe scale back from your normal intensity or duration. For instance, if you would normally run two miles, try walking for a few minutes and see how your body copes.

Additionally, here are some tips to consider:

• Walking. Some people find a firm, level surface to be more comfortable to walk on with sciatic pain, but everyone is different. If you have a lot of discomfort while walking, take note of where you’re walking and consider whether you could explore different routes. Alternatively, you can try slowing your pace by taking shorter steps to see if that alleviates some discomfort. 

• Swimming. The buoyancy of water can reduce pressure on your nerves, so it may ease the pain of sciatica. If you’re not a swimmer, consider water walking. 

• Bike riding. Cycling is a great form of cardio but it can sometimes put pressure on the sciatic nerve (especially if the seat is too hard or at the wrong height), so let your symptoms be your guide. If biking makes them worse, try another form of cardio exercise temporarily that feels more comfortable for you. 

PT Tip: Move Any Way that Feels Comfortable

Although you may assume otherwise, there’s no reason not to exercise with sciatica. It can help relieve a flare and prevent them from recurring. Know that even if you have some pain with movement, you’re still safe to nudge into that pain. As long as you don’t push past unacceptable levels of pain for you, you can feel confident moving any way you want, as long as it feels good to you, notes Dr. Vaughn.

How Hinge Health Can Help You

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program.

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you.

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References

1. Belavý, D. L., Quittner, M. J., Ridgers, N., Ling, Y., Connell, D., & Rantalainen, T. (2017). Running exercise strengthens the intervertebral disc. Scientific Reports, 7(1). doi:10.1038/srep45975

2. Sciatica. (2020, March 25). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12792-sciatica

3. Sinicropi, S. How to Strengthen your Spinal Discs. Retrieved from https://sinicropispine.com/strengthen-spinal-discs/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CHowever%2C%20in%20this%20study%20we,help%20improve%20your%20disc%20health

4. Best exercises for sciatica. (2021, July 30). Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/exercises-for-sciatica#how-exercise-helps