Sciatica Exercises Part 1 – The Evil That Discs Do

Comments

1. DrGeorgeBest says:
   July 12, 2010 at 16:12

   @HaligonianType1 The diabetes could be a part of the problem. It is even possible that what you are experiencing is not actually sciatica, but a circulation problem called intermittent claudication, which can occur as a result of diabetes. My suggestion is to have your doctor check things out and try to get a more definite diagnosis, as there would be very different treatment options for sciatica and IC.
2. DrGeorgeBest says:
   July 12, 2010 at 16:16

   @LetsKiosk In severe cases, it is not unusual for symptoms to continue for several months with alternating periods of improvement and worsening. I suggest getting an MRI or CT scan if possible to further evaluate the situation, as this would give a more definite assessment of the diagnosis and severity and help to define the best treatment options.
3. HaligonianType1 says:
   July 13, 2010 at 12:18

   @DrGeorgeBest

   I have been doing research into intermittent claudication and it appears my situation more closely relates to this. I am going to make an appointment with my doc and mention this. I read that gingko bilobo can help it somewhat so have started taking that until I can get a handle on it. Thank you for taking the time to reply.
4. DrGeorgeBest says:
   July 13, 2010 at 14:25

   @HaligonianType1 You’re welcome and good luck!
5. Cherylyiyi says:
   July 14, 2010 at 20:46

   I have tried everything besides surgery. I am now getting very painful shots in my back because of excrucating pain that travels down my left leg every day. I have 2 more shots to go. I might chicken out because I have already had 3 with no relief. I will try this though. I pretty much cry everyday from this injury to my back because I have tried so many different relief exercises and nothing is long term.
6. DrGeorgeBest says:
   July 16, 2010 at 11:41

   @Cherylyiyi Hopefully the exercise will be of help. In severe cases, I suggest doing it for a minute or so frequently throughout the day (as long as it provides centralization of the symptoms) – up to a few times every hour for the first few days to try to get things headed the right direction. You might get some back soreness doing it that much, but if the sciatica is improving, you’re on the right track. Good luck!
7. Iliaviemeli says:
   July 31, 2010 at 06:06

   hi.i’d like to ask 2 questions. 1. should i do this exercises feeling lot of pain in the left leg and having hernia discal (dont know how is hernia discal on english ? 2. in the case of surgery what kind of risk is it for me in future? tnks
8. DrGeorgeBest says:
   July 31, 2010 at 10:22

   @Iliaviemeli 1. This exercise is usually very good for leg pain related to a herniated disc. But, if it does not reduce the pain in the leg or if the leg pain gets worse while doing the exercise, you should not do it anymore. 2. Most people with herniated discs get better without surgery, but it depends on how bad the herniation is. Hopefully you will not need surgery. Good luck!
9. crossroads2284 says:
   August 9, 2010 at 16:09

   I just spent 2 days not able to move much at all without mind numbing pain. Somebody told me about a tennis ball trick where you put it under ur butt or where the pain starts and massage it …….I just did it and I AM COMPLETELY MOBILE. I was amazed……nobody should suffer that kind of pain…PLEASE TRY THIS…..IT DOES WORK.
10. DrGeorgeBest says:
    August 10, 2010 at 14:42

    @crossroads2284 The suggestion is valid, but I advise others reading this to be very careful with it. The tennis ball will likely help if the problem is piriformis syndrome as opposed to true sciatica from a bulging disc in the spine (for more on this distinction, see my Sciatica Exercises Part 2 video). In the event of true sciatica, placing a lot of pressure on the sciatic nerve in the buttock by sitting on a tennis ball may only make it worse (possibly MUCH worse) – so be gentle!
11. snatale1 says:
    August 18, 2010 at 10:09

    @Cherylyiyi Do you know what they injected you with, I got one a month ago thinking it was cortizone but it was some other crap….didn’t work.
12. wais3132 says:
    August 23, 2010 at 15:11

    hi dr. george
    how many times a day you thinks it good to this exercises. thanks
13. DrGeorgeBest says:
    August 23, 2010 at 15:53

    @wais3132 When there are major symptoms present, I suggest doing it several times per day for a minute or so at a time. In fact, it can be done 4 to 5 time per hour for a few days to try to get symptoms under control in really severe cases. It may cause some temporary back soreness doing it this much, but as long as the symptoms in the leg are going away, the back soreness is not a big concern. Once the symptoms are gone, for prevention, I suggest doing it 3 to 4 times per day.
14. gorbax3 says:
    August 25, 2010 at 10:43

    DANG!! all talk and no action. he talks 6 minutes before he shows you ANYTHING.
15. DrGeorgeBest says:
    August 25, 2010 at 18:03

    @gorbax3 Really? I just checked and it looks like the exercise demo begins at about 1:40 into the video. Perhaps you were so anxious to make a snide comment that you weren’t paying attention!
16. cheung86 says:
    September 3, 2010 at 11:49

    Great video Dr.George! Approximately how long does it take for the disc to heal? Im still in pain after 2 months . Thanks
17. DrGeorgeBest says:
    September 3, 2010 at 12:02

    @cheung86 Disc healing and symptoms are different issues. A disc can be structurally stable (about as “healed” as they get, which probably takes several months in most cases) or even surgically removed, but symptoms may remain forever if permanent nerve damage occurred during the initial stages of the disc protrusion. A disc can also be bulging and very unstable with no symptoms until the wrong movement at the wrong time. So, pain lasts anywhere from a day to forever depending on many factors.
18. DrGeorgeBest says:
    September 3, 2010 at 12:07

    @cheung86 Continued from my other response… Generally the better you take care of your back by avoiding excessive sitting, avoiding improper bending and lifting, and doing exercises like the one shown in the video, the faster the symptoms will go away and the better and faster the disc will stabilize (although some bulging may remain, it will be resistant to being irritated to the point of symptoms returning). More info about this is available at my website shown on the video.
19. cheung86 says:
    September 4, 2010 at 01:37

    Well, nervous tissue Do heal. Thank you for your time and response =)
20. blktlbk says:
    September 9, 2010 at 11:01

    What about sleeping part time in a recliner? Bad or ok…also Inversion Table therapy ?
21. DrGeorgeBest says:
    September 10, 2010 at 16:45

    @blktlbk Sleeping in a recliner is usually not a good idea, but it may be the only comfortable position in a small number of cases and for them it’s OK short-term. Inversion tables seem to help with prevention but it can either help or make things worse during the acute symptom stage – more often worse in my experience. During acute symptoms, there is a tendency for the muscles around the spine to contract in reaction to the traction force and this can cause increased pressure on the discs.
22. jamiepango says:
    September 27, 2010 at 10:18

    Thank you for the video
    Just wondering what the best position would be best whilst sleeping? For example, is it better to lie on your back with straight legs, or whether to curl up the legs??

    Thanks in advance
23. DrGeorgeBest says:
    September 27, 2010 at 11:49

    @jamiepango Usually when sleeping on the back, it will help to put a pillow or rolled-up towel under the legs so that the knees are partially bent, as this reduces tension on the sciatic nerve. Another sleeping position that works for many with sciatica is lying on one side with the knees bent and a pillow between the knees.
24. aaronlowe1000 says:
    October 10, 2010 at 19:46

    On your video you use the McKenzie Exercise where you arch your back upwards but in other sciatica stretching exercise videos there is a position called the Downwards Facing Dog where you arch your back the other way (forwards), are they both correct?
    I have found your videos on sciatica very helpful, thanks
25. DrGeorgeBest says:
    October 11, 2010 at 16:08

    @aaronlowe1000 For true sciatica related to a herniated disc, the downward facing dog exercise is a VERY bad idea! It will probably help with sciatica-like symptoms from the piriformis muscle (to tell the difference between disc and piriformis symptoms, see my video, Sciatica Exercises, Part 2), but in the case of disc herninations, the forward flexion of the spine can potentially make the disc herniation worse, and increase symptoms.

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