My reasoning about my own sciatica was that some posture, movement, or load on my spine was squeezing the (previously-injured) L5-S1 disc such that it was bulging enough to press on the nerve root. The trigger posture for my first bout of sciatica seemed to be sitting in a horribly non-ergonomic airplane seat for 8 straight hours without standing up or moving around. I reasoned that I need to squeeze that disc in the opposite direction or back into place. I flipped through my library of stuff looking for what might do this. I thought that 2 positions from Egoscue would help, static back and floor block. Static back, especially with an ice pack, is about the best thing for acute pain relief anyway. The floor block position should help push those lumbar discs back where they belong. It should do the opposite of what sitting does.
Those positions helped immediately.
At the same time, I found the “somatics” stuff and tried a few of the movement sequences. Muscles in spasm immediately relaxed with these weird little movement sequences. So that was my final piece of the puzzle for sciatica relief.
I believe that the somatics movements are so effective because they activate the deeper smaller stabilizers of the spine in a fully supported position (lying on your back), and convince the CNS to let the larger muscles in spasm (QL, piriformis) relax.
So, it is NOT TRUE that only a doctor can fix your sciatica. A good surgeon MAY be able to alleviate your sciatica through surgery. But he cannot make your back function properly, and will probably make its function even worse than it is now.
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just reread this thread again. what somatics stuff? like this
going to start trying them and see if it makes a difference. started doing pelvic floor exercises (has helped release tightness and pain in back/legs a bit) and hanging on a pullup bar (form of manual traction according to my physio) and has helped reduce extension pain.
Bulging and herniated discs can now be treated successfully with stem cells and platelet lysate. I urge anyone suffering from these conditions to research Regnexx procedures and hook up with a Regenexx provider.
I haven’t been on this forum in a long, loooong time, and the software is completely different. There used to be PMs, but I can’t find anything like that now. Does the email T-Nation sent me about your message use a relay (like Craigslist) that hides my email address if I reply?
I think McGill and Esther Gokhale are the best resources/approaches to discogenic back pain. What have you learned and done from Back Mechanic? For McGill, you might want to buy the more advanced books, and also watch him on YouTube as much as you can. When he shows models of the spine and works with lifters, it adds a lot to the understanding of the book.
If you have a recent injury, depending on how bad it is and how old you are, it can take a long time before it feels better. I don’t use ice or painkillers any more (NSAIDs or otherwise). I do find some benefit to a Hypervolt massager instead of foam rollers and tennis balls. (But not during the acute injury/muscle spasm stage.)
It’s funny to skim back over this thread and hear all the injured lifters desperate to find a magic set of exercises that will cure this painful problem. If only we could exercise our way out of it! With injured discs, you need to AVOID the motions, postures, and loads (both lifting and non-lifting, all day and night) that injure the disc. The disc needs 6 weeks or more to heal. Loading it while it’s injured won’t help anything. Walk, lie down, repeat. If you can find a postion with a little extension or bend that alleviates pressure on the nerve (not too much, no McKenzie stuff), do that. Listen to the pain; when it worsens, move to a different position; try to find a position that feels even slightly better.
A lot of this thread rings painful bells. I had a double prolapse diagnosed back in 2010. However, my back problems first surfaced years before. If I could change any one thing I would have avoided the ‘must do’ lifts, squat, deadlift, barbell row, etc. Every time I got back on track, I would seek to bring them back in. To be fair, I got to a point where I was trapbar deadlifting, doing heavy carries and other strongman stuff. However, it didn’t last.
Flash forward, I now do my own take on DC training, using a belt squat for quads, chest supported rows for back thickness, etc, and making pain free progress. I ask myself, why didn’t I park my ego and do it sooner.
The objective is to get pain free and find the exercises you can do. Don’t try and train around it. You can really get a good level of physique without those lifts.
Strength Side on Youtube has a wealth of good information on general and specific mobility, plus Josh is really engaging and entertaining. He played college basketball, was later a personal (bro) trainer, and after bulking up, and numerous lifting injuries, did a re-set, and got mobile again.
May I ask what it is that you do instead of deadlifts? I had surgery on two herniated discs (from deadlifting) and like you every time I try to add squats or deadlifts back in my training I get hurt. I can’t even goblet squat without a terrible flair up in sciatic pain. I can and do belt squat without trouble. But I can’t find a posterior chain exercise that I can tolerate.
