Sciatica exercises

Sciatica is the name for pain that travels from the lower back or buttock down the leg, sometimes past the knee and into the foot, following the path of an irritated nerve root. The commonest cause is a disc bulge pressing on or inflaming the nerve where it leaves the spine. It often comes with pins and needles, patches of numbness, or a leg that feels weaker than usual.

Discs bulge far more often than people realise, and many bulges are completely painless. Symptoms usually appear when one sits close enough to the nerve to inflame it, and that inflammation is the part that makes the leg so sore. It can start after a specific bend or lift, or build up over days with no obvious trigger at all.

Day to day, the leg pain usually outweighs the back pain. Sitting, driving and bending forward tend to be the worst, coughing or sneezing can send a jolt down the leg, and finding a comfortable position at night takes some experimenting. Walking is often easier than sitting, and many people notice the symptoms slowly withdrawing back up the leg as things improve.

It can be very painful, but the outlook is genuinely good: the large majority settle without surgery as the inflammation around the nerve calms down. It is slower than ordinary back pain, often several weeks to a few months, and progress tends to come in steps rather than a smooth line. This programme reduces nerve sensitivity with gentle movement, keeps the back and leg working, then rebuilds strength and walking tolerance.

Who this programme is for

Adults with back-related leg pain, tingling or numbness where bladder and bowel function is normal and any weakness is mild and not getting worse. It suits both a first episode and one that has been grumbling on. Rapidly progressing weakness or saddle numbness is an emergency (see red flags).