Exercises for Sciatica: The Muscles Involved With Back Pain

In a majority of cases the main reason behind sciatic nerve pain is an injury, strain or inflammation of the muscle tissue that protects the spine. These muscles are a rather large, complex group that, when healthy, interact to guide the spine and us upright. They also play a role in allowing the torso to twist and bend. Exercises for sciatica are, therefore, targeted on this group of muscles.

These primary back muscles that play an important role would be the extensors, flexors and obliques. Let's have a look at each group separately.

Extensors

Extensors are attached to the back of the spine, technically the posterior. These muscles let us stand also to lift objects up. The extensors are paired in the spine and help with supporting the spine and work with the gluteal muscles buttocks.

Flexors

Flexor muscles affix to the front or the anterior of the spine. Sometimes called hip flexors, these paired muscles permit bending forward, arching your back and walking or running.

Oblique

The obliques, another pair of muscles attach to the ribs and iliac crest running along the side of your torso. These muscles aid in rotation of the torso as well as in correct erect posture also.

Exercise Therapy

For most people, athletes included, the extensors, hip flexors and obliques would be the most neglected muscles in the body. This ensures they are also subject to strain or stress much more than other larger muscle tissues such as the glutes or thigh muscles. Yet it is precisely these muscles that, most of the time, are the underlying reason for sciatic nerve pain.

Effective exercise therapy, whether under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist or licensed exercise therapist, focuses on these muscles. Exercises to strengthen and stretch this grouping will most likely clean up the pain within a few short weeks. Continuing the workouts after the pain goes away completely will, most likely, prevent any recurrence of the discomfort. In many cases, strengthening and stretching these three muscle groups is going to be enough to even rule out any invasive surgery to relieve the pain.

Aside from the fact that these muscles are neglected generally in most workout programs, when sciatica is a result of that neglect, doing the exercises essential to strengthen and stretch them is very painful. It is very important to push ahead during the very first five to seven days as, typically, the pain will diminish because the muscles get accustomed to being worked again. If it doesn't diminish it could be the manifestation of a far more serious issue so make sure you note how you feel within the first three to four hours after working out.

One last point, don't attempt to create your personal workout program. Be certain to get a proper diagnosis from your doctor or perhaps the specialist to whom you are referred. Only this diagnosis provides you with the information that the exercises for sciatica pain may be the first, and perhaps the only, approach needed to ease your discomfort once and for all.