G'day everyone, welcome back to another exercise video. I'm Mike,
physiotherapist and your senior's health and fitness coach and what we're going to go through today are three of my favorite stretches
to help with sciatic pain. Now
what,
sciatica or sciatic pain basically is pain which starts in your lower back then refers to your buttocks or one or both
of your legs. It can be caused by many things or there can be many diagnoses such as a slipped disc,
pinched nerve, a tight muscle in your buttocks. Whatever it is, we're not going to focus on any of those today.
We're just going to do the right things to help decrease your pain and to ensure it doesn't come back again.
Okay, let's get into it guys. We're gonna start with the stretches before we talk a little bit about sciatic pain.
I'm going to turn side-onso you can see what I'm doing. We're going to sit up nice and tall in our chair.
We're going to get started with the first stretch which is one of my favorite stretches
for sciatic pain or any pain which we're first down.
I have shown you how to do this stretch in one of my other exercise videos.
I do think you get more of the stretch if you can do it on the floor.
You can also do this stretch in standing as well, but we're going to do it in a seated position.
I know a lot of you have trouble getting down on the floor to do those stretches.
Sitting up tall in your chair, keeping your back straight,
shoulders back and down.
You're gonna take your hands and place them in the small of your back like this.
And then what you're going to do is just arch that back.
Your lower back into the palms of your hands like this and the inner core as far back as you feel comfortable
and you're gonna hold this for about 30 seconds. I'm just bringing my legs back a little bit further again,
just so I can make myself more stable and I can get a better stretch in that lower back
so, I'm just coming back into the palms of my hands. I'm feeling that stretch
arching that back and we hold for 30 seconds.
We're gonna hold for 10, 9, 8,
7, 6, 5, 4, 3,
2,
and 1.
So doing that stretch for 30 seconds and then we go on to the next stretch. If you can do that stretch for longer, go for longer. Into the next stretch now,
we get started with a hamstring stretch.
We're going to make sure one leg is straight, another leg flat on the floor, toes facing the ceiling. From this position,
you don't want to be rounding your back.
You want to keep your back straight throughout, shoulders back and down. If you round your back, it may cause you more pain
so stay away from that. Keep your back straight the whole time. You now place your hands on the leg
that's straight whilst your back is straight. You're just going to lean as far forward as you feel comfortable
and when you start to feel a stretch in the back of that upper thigh or the back of the thigh.
You're going to hold that stretch for 30 seconds or a bit longer.
So following along with me guys, getting that stretch go as far forward as it feels comfortable. Keep that back straight,
don't round your back
and let's hold for another 15 more seconds, feeling that stretch
then you don't need to be going all the way down and touching your toes.
So you need to feel a stretch in that thigh or the back of the thigh,
just hold it there.
Okay, let's go for five more seconds 5, 4, 3
2, and 1.
Excellent work! Changing legs, doing the exact same thing making sure the other leg straight, bringing the other leg in,
toes face in the ceiling. The most important step, keeping that back
straight, when you round your back, you're going to be able to get down for that.
That's not about that. Giving you back straight. Do not put any extra pressure on that lower back.
Hands on that thigh and coming as far forward as you feel comfortable
or until you can feel that stretch at the back of the upper thigh or the back of the thigh.
Holding this stretch guys for 30 seconds. Following along with me.
Chest up!
Excellent work! Now hold it, let's go for another 20 seconds.
Feeling that stretch, down round your back
and 10, 9 ,8,
7, 6, 5,
4, 3,
2, and 1.
Excellent work! Now, coming up.
The next stretch, we're going to do is stretching out our hip or our buttocks muscles
or more specifically one of the muscles in our buttocks known as a piriformis muscle.
We're gonna sit up nice and tall in your chair.
We're gonna place one leg out in front, other legs gonna cross over the leg
that's straight and we're going to bring slide that leg up. Our leg, grab hold of it,
bring the leg that was straight in and place both your hands on your shin of the cross leg and you're gonna maintain
that upright posture. Keeping that back straight as we did in the last stretch.
What we're going to do from this position
are we're just going to lean as far forward as we feel comfortable.
Feeling that stretch in the buttocks, on the side of the cross leg and keep that back straight. Don't round the back.
It's very important you keep that back straight. Let's hold for another ten seconds guys
and 10, 9, 8, 7
6, 5, 4, 3,
2, and 1. Bringing that leg down. Coming up, let's do the same thing on the opposite side.
So one leg out straight in front of you, sliding the other leg, up that leg,
holding onto the leg to bring it up. Bringing that straight leg underneath you.
Hands on your shin, back straight, chest up.
You're going to lean forward until you feel a stretch on the side of your buttocks
and just hold this position for the 30 seconds. Now, throughout any of these stretches,
you don't want to be feeling any pain. Basis
and now stretch, you get any pain, especially in that back, stop the stretches. Okay! Let's hold it for another
15 more seconds, keeping that back straight. Don't round the back
and 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5,
4, 3,
2, and 1. Coming up, bring that leg down. Let's take a deep breath in
and out.
Okay! There were three stretches you can do to help decrease
sciatic pain not touching your mental stress. If you're one of the people that put extra stress on yourself,
you've got to cut it out because stress directly correlates to pain, adds to the pain experience.
You want to take the stress off yourself,
relax more, do whatever you can to decrease stress.
Also, think about how fit you are at the moment. Okay! So things such as losing weight, getting fitter,
strengthening that core, getting yourself moving better,
these are all going to decrease your pain symptoms and ensure you don't get pain again.
Also, make sure you get a good night's sleep.
Eating a healthy diet, stay away from any processed foods, which would be causing inflammation in your body.
More junk you're putting in your body, it's going equal more inflammation which adds to the pain experience as well.
So there are some stretches,
there are some other things to think about as well, add the stretches to these other things and you'll do a heck of a lot
to decrease your pain and to ensure it doesn't come back again.
That's it for me for today guys!
I'll catch you again next week for another exercise video.
If you've got any questions,
you can shoot me an email at mike@morelifehealth.com or you can join in the Facebook support community
which I highly recommend you join. If you've got any questions or just to be around other like-minded
seniors, also if you want a free 4-week exercise ebook to help improve your health and fitness,
head over to morelifehealth.com, sign up to the mailing list, I'll send you a copy.
I'll catch you next time guys.
Thanks for following along.