Pilates for Sciatica Relief

Back pain is now a common issue for many men and women throughout the world. Statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare suggests that seventy to ninety percent of people suffer from lower back pain at some point of their lives.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is a term used to describe pain, tingling, numbness or weakness that travels from the lower back down the path of the sciatic nerve — a large nerve that runs through the buttocks and down the back of each leg. This symptom occurs when one or more of the nerve roots in the lower spine are irritated or compressed, often due to a herniated disc or narrowing of the spine.

Sciatica commonly causes:

1. Pain that starts in the lower back or buttock and travels down one leg
2. Sensations such as burning, sharp or shooting pain
3. Tingling, numbness or muscle weakness in the leg or foot

Symptoms are often worse when sitting, coughing or sneezing, but they can vary between individuals. Sciatica is a symptom of underlying nerve irritation, not a diagnosis on its own.

What Causes Sciatica?

There is no strong evidence that genetics alone “cause” sciatica, although genetic factors can influence spine structure and predispose someone to conditions like disc degeneration that may contribute to nerve compression. Sciatica most commonly develops during one’s forties, but can develop in others at various times in life – such as during pregnancy.

Likewise, as sciatica is caused when pressure is put on the sciatic nerve or root, an accident or a fall in the buttocks can also cause a trauma on the sciatic nerve. This causes swelling – which causes sciatic pain.

Another common cause of sciatica is Neural Tension. The posture of a person often affects sciatic pain.

Sciatica rarely becomes seriously, but when it does, it usually requires urgent medical intervention or surgery. In many other cases, conservative treatment for sciatica is sufficient.

Treating Sciatica

Sciatica is a nerve injury, and it has been proven that Clinical Pilates is a form of exercise that is extremely beneficial to provide relief from the pain caused by sciatica. Pilates for sciatica is defined as a form of exercise – targeting core strength, stability and flexibility.

A person has to be careful to ensure that the sciatic nerve does not get more injured than it already is – it is cautioned that the idea of over-recruiting muscles may be harmful for sciatica. For example, if you are doing Pilates from a more classical perspective where you are tucking your bottom and squeezing the glutes, it could be wrong for somebody with sciatica. That would increase the pressure on the sciatic nerve and decrease the space around the nerve. The suggestion is to want to work in a more neutral spine.

If the sciatica is coming from a herniated disc, then we have to take all the disc precautions. Disc precautions include not going into unnecessary flexion, and sometimes extension. Avoid overusing the buttocks and the piriformis muscles. Avoid putting the nerve on stretch. Avoid too much flexion (forward bending) in the lumbar spine which could irritate the nerve if there is a disc lesion. Again, work from a neutral spine, get things to move and relax, and get the core strong. You can do a lot of Pilates for sciatica and still remove stressors on the sciatic nerve.

Before heading to pilates, consider booking a physiotherapy session to get some individualised help with the different types of Pilates, ensuring what the full capacity of the back pain is and which treatment will be optimum to maximise temporary recovery for a certain type of back injury.

Pilates for Sciatica

The different types of Pilates treatments offered ranges from individually tailored exercise to clinical methodology.

Individually tailored exercise focuses on an area of extreme pain and clinical methodology is an evidence-based technique taught by qualified professionals who become aware of the complex details of your body.

Pilates Exercises to Avoid with Sciatica

As a general rule, back patients should avoid exercises that push the spine into extremes of extension, or combine flexion with side bending or twisting the spine. The pilates for sciatica exercises should be challenging (both mentally and physically) but not so difficult that they cause pain. If an exercise causes pain – it is best to stop and tell the instructor.

Often the glutes are found to be inhibited and this can abnormally load the pelvis and contribute to sciatic pain. A good pilates program is programmed to maximise gluteal activation to ensure you build up the musculature to support the pelvic bowl, thereby reducing load on the sciatic nerve.

Pilates Exercises for Sciatica Relief

Here are some effective Pilates exercises that can help relieve sciatica pain:

Pelvic Tilts

Pelvic tilts help to mobilise the lower back and engage the core muscles.
How to do it:

• Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Inhale and tilt your pelvis forward, creating a slight arch in your lower back.
• Exhale and press your lower back into the floor, tucking your pelvis under.
• Repeat for 10–15 reps.