Looking back on our childhoods, we all remember parents or grandparents who had frequent back problems. When this happened, doctors often recommended their patients lie flat on the ground or bed and not move for two to three days.
While bed rest might seem like a good idea, health advice has come a long way since the 1980s. At Vitality Semaphore, our experience and extensive chiropractic and holistic knowledge tell us rest isn’t the best option.
Spinal healthcare professionals now recommend a structured exercise programme for those suffering from sciatica. This may seem counterintuitive, especially if you have a lot of sciatica pain each time you move. However, having movement and motion throughout your body is integral to helping bring blood flow into your discs.
Exercise also strengthens bones and muscles and brings flexibility to the sciatic nerve itself. It’s important for short-term relief and one of the necessary components of long-term recovery.
A Conservative Approach to Care includes Exercise
Sciatica has many different causes, from arthritis to bulging discs, to stuck and stiff joints and tight muscles.
Regardless of the cause of sciatica, there is one thing that chiropractors all agree on regarding care. And it’s implementing a conservative approach for the first six to eight weeks of working through the pain and discomfort before considering or talking about surgery. Exercise is a fundamental part of this conservative approach.
When we discuss exercise for sciatica, they aren’t complicated or convoluted routines. It is truly as simple as walking or hopping in the swimming pool. When the pain is ramping up, doing simple stretches and movements while lying in bed will also help restore nourishment and blood flow to those discs and joints.
Semaphore Chiropractic for Sciatic Pain
If you are exercising and you’re not seeing any relief in your sciatica, then a visit to your chiropractor is a great idea. We’ve seen too many patients who visit Vitality Semaphore who have been suffering for years from sciatica, and we don’t want that to be you!
Contact us today to schedule an appointment with our team to get to the root cause of your sciatica. We’ll get you back on the path to healing as quickly as possible. Our office can be reached by calling (08) 8242 1581.