EXERCISES FOR SCIATICA
DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE
My name is Sammy Margo and I'm a chartered physiotherapist.
Today I'm going to talk to you about degenerative disc disease.
The main aim of these exercises is to help strengthen, mobilise and stabilise
the surrounding area so that you've got good scaffolding
and you can prevent any further recurrences.
Getting into the position for exercises,
the best position to lie in is crook-lined.
So lying on your back with your knees gently bent.
This takes the slack off your low back.
Most people can exercise in this position.
If you can't lie on the floor, you can lie on a plinth
or lie on the bed, it's absolutely fine.
Throughout the exercises, I'd like you to engage your abdominals
which means pull your tummy muscles in.
Just to start off with, we're going to do some gentle mobilising
and strengthening exercises which are known as pelvic tilting.
It's a very gentle exercise.
So can you feel my hand under your back.
And squash down, engaging your tummy muscles and hold there.
Five, four, three, two, one. And relax.
If you feel any pain or discomfort, let me know.
And one more. Push it down. Hold for five, four, three, two, one.
And relax. So you can do those ten times.
Obviously, I won't be there,
so if you want to have a go at putting your hand under your back.
And just push down and holding it, holding it, holding it.
If you feel any pain or discomfort, stop and let it go.
The next exercise is to progress that into a bridge.
So push down again hard and squeeze your buttocks
and lift your buttocks up.
Lift your buttocks up.
And bring them down.
And again, squeeze your buttocks.
Rolling it up.
So the aim is to stabilise and strengthen and mobilise
at the same time.
And let yourself come down.
Doing this bridging ten times is great.
But if you can't go very far, just go a little way up.
Just squeeze your buttocks and just go to there.
And then come down. OK?
Moving on now.
Another thing you want to do is keep the spine mobile
so rolling your knees, or knee rolling, which is the same as rotations,
it's a very good exercise.
So pulling your tummy muscles in nice and tight
and just roll your knees gently from side to side.
We're just trying to build the scaffolding up
around the middle part of your body and just strengthen the area.
So side to side.
That's a very nice, gentle mobilising exercise.
The next exercise is buttock squeezing.
And squeeze your buttock muscles and suck your pelvic floor up and in
as if you're stopping yourself from weeing.
And relax. So just a good old contraction.
So squeeze yourself as hard you can, hold it there, two, three, four, five.
And relax.
And again. Squeeze your buttocks as hard as you can.
Hold it there. Two, three, four, five.
Relax.
And one more. Squeeze it.
Two, three, four, five. Great.
And for this particular problem,
you can do these exercises in lying, sitting, standing.
But the main aim is to strengthen, stabilise and mobilise the area
without provoking any pain.
In addition to this, it is quite good to do some general mobilising exercises
like walking, cycling or swimming
because your body likes the movement and rhythm.
The joints like movement and rhythm.
Provided you're not causing any pain or discomfort,
doing stuff like that will actually help get you going, keep you strong,
keep your weight off, improve your posture
and help strengthen you up generally.
IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY PAIN OR DISCOMFORT
WHILE DOING THESE EXERCISES
PLEASE STOP AND CONSULT YOUR GP
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: www.nhs.uk/sciatica