| While sciatica exercises are definitely | | | | centralization would be a situation in which |
| important to both short and long-term | | | | the pain would leave the thigh and only |
| recovery, not all exercises promoted for | | | | extedown s far as the hip. |
| sciatica are actually appropriate during | | | | |
| acute symptoms and may actually make things | | | | Any exercise/position that produces |
| worse. | | | | centralization is considered beneficial, even |
| | | | if the symptoms increase in the areas closer |
| For example, while commonly recommended to | | | | to the spine. For example, if you had |
| people with sciatica, exercises such as | | | | sciatica and low back pain and tried one of |
| hamstring stretches and the yoga position, | | | | of the McKenzie exercises and the sciatica |
| "downward facing dog" can be beneficial as | | | | completely went away but the back pain got |
| part of managing one's condition once the | | | | worse, the exercise would still be considered |
| pain is reduced, these exercises can place | | | | beneficial and it would be recommended to |
| tension on the sciatic nerve and aggravate an | | | | continue using it. In the long run, a |
| already inflamed and sensitive condition. In | | | | sciatica exercise that produces |
| general, any exercise that causes pain to | | | | centralization will usually eventually result |
| increase in the leg and/or extend further | | | | in improvement in all symptoms, even if more |
| down the leg should be completely avoided | | | | central (closer to the spine) symptoms get |
| during the acute phase of sciatica. | | | | worse at first. |
| | | | |
| During the acute phase of sciatica pain, | | | | The simplest of the McKenzie exercises for |
| McKenzie exercises provide one of the best | | | | alleviating sciatica is done by simply lying |
| and safest treatment approaches available - | | | | on one's stomach on the floor or a firm |
| more effective than medication and epidural | | | | surface and propping one's chest up on the |
| steroid injections in many people. Though | | | | elbows. This position puts the lumbar spine |
| often associated with spinal extension and | | | | into an extended position, which may reduce |
| mistakenly called the "McKenzie Extension | | | | sciatica by squeezing bulging disc material |
| Exercises", McKenzie method may involve any | | | | further forward and away from the spinal |
| number of spinal positions/movements. The | | | | nerves that compose the sciatica nerve, |
| whole point of the McKenzie method is to | | | | thereby resulting in reduced compression and |
| evaluate different positions/exercises to | | | | inflammation. Although you can maintain this |
| find what best produces "centralization" of | | | | position for relatively long periods of time, |
| symptoms. | | | | I recommend doing it for short periods of one |
| | | | or two minutes with a rest break of at least |
| "Centralization" is a term used by McKenzie | | | | a few minutes in between. Taking short, |
| practitioners that means that symptoms move | | | | frequent breaks keeps the lumbar musculature |
| out of the areas furthest from the spine. To | | | | from getting tight, but still allows enough |
| give an example, in a person with sciatica | | | | time to get good results in the majority of |
| all the way down the leg to the foot, | | | | cases. For more complex sciatica exercises, |
| centralization might occur in which the pain | | | | getting detailed instructions either through |
| left the foot and lower leg and then only | | | | an illustrated guide or an experienced health |
| extended down to the knee. If the pain | | | | care practitioner is advised. |
| extended to the knee at first, an example of | | | | |