Where to start...

[1] The pain I had stemmed from a combination of some muscles being too weak and some too tight. The months / years of pilates corrected the underlying cause. Strengthening and stretching muscles. This led to reduction in symptoms. It is better to address the underlying cause rather than the symptoms. There is no quick fix to this.

[2] The pain you have may stem from a different underlying cause than mine. It is best to avoid taking medical advice from the internet. You may have a problem with a disk or nerve that can't be remedied with stretching / strengthening. If you can afford it, go see a decent physio. Get a proper assessment.

[3] Be very gentle when doing any exercises while you have sciatic pain. Don't overdo it. Conversely, when the pain has gone, don't stop doing the exercises. I spend around 4-5 minutes every doing the 2 primary stretches below to prevent back pain from occurring. In my view I will be doing these stretches every day for the rest of my life. I also do pilates / core work when I am in the gym but that is likely overkill if you just have minor back pain.

[4] Do this - User Posted Link

This is the basic piriformis stretch. I do the variation at about 1 minute in. I also move my supporting leg outward to increase the stretch.

[5] I cant find a video of the other exercise I do every day. If you have done the exercise above, put both feet on the ground. Legs and feet in contact with each other. Keeping legs and feet in contact, roll them over to the left. Your shoulders, back and head don't move - they stay flat on the floor. The left edge of your left foot should be on the floor. The sole of your left foot and all of the right foot should be off the floor. Hold for 30 seconds. Return to centre. Repeat rolling right. Start by rolling a little bit then increase gradually depending on how you feel. When your legs are rolled, you can try to push your top knee away from you to increase the stretch. This exercise works best for me when I have sciatic pain. Seems to undo the tightness. Not sure how well I explained it.

[6] You can do exercises 4 and 5 in bed. I do find the floor better though. No sweating, no gym kit. Easy. In the longer term, a beginners pilates class may be beneficial - especially if you spend all day sitting at a desk.

I hope you feel better soon!

Posted By: Timmy_Goat on June 24th 2023 at 16:54:43

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