Did you know that most adults deal with lower back pain at some point in their lives? And, since our lower backs are crucial for everyday movements like sitting, walking, and standing up, it can be not only painful but also incredibly limiting. To make matters worse, when you’re dealing with nerve pain, the challenges can extend beyond your lower back as the electric-feeling pain can shoot down to the butt and legs. But we’re not here to wallow; we’re here to make you feel better through movement.
Thankfully, there are exercises you can do to relieve lower back pain. Our resident physical therapist guides us through them in two programs; one focused on generalized lower back pain (aka lumbago) and this one, which is for lower back sciatic nerve pain.
If you’re experiencing shooting pains that go beyond your lower back, continue on here. If your pain is contained to your lower back, feels achy, and is tender to the touch, check out our Generalized Lower Back Pain Relief Program instead. While there is some overlap between the programs, this nerve-related one focuses on exercises that bend your spine gently backward while the generalized one is all about keeping your back flat and bending forward. If you’re not sure which one is for you, we recommend watching the education videos for both.
What is it?
Our Lower Back Sciatic Nerve Pain Relief Program is a four-week program designed to improve your range of motion, flexibility, and strength, so you can have a strong, healthy lower back. Made up of seven videos from our resident physical therapist, Jenna Ellis, this program gives you ten-minute routines that can be done daily or every other day.
This program will help you:
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Improve flexibility in tight muscles that limit your spine
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Strengthen your lower back and core muscles to support your spine
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Re-educate the muscles surrounding your spine to work correctly
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Achieve a full range of motion in your spine with proper movement mechanics
Is this program for you?
This program was designed for anyone who...
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is currently dealing with lower back sciatic nerve pain.
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has had sciatic nerve pain in the past and is looking to protect their spine from future injuries.
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wants a short, daily routine to keep their lower back healthy.
What to expect:
Like our Foundations Program, this program is based on the ABCs of healthy movement; alignment, balance, and coordination. All three parts include an instructional video with in-depth, slow-paced explanations of each exercise as well as a follow-along video with music and a timer to guide your sessions.
Part one (week one) is all about practicing perfect alignment. That means doing holds. No quick movements, reps, or equipment changes – just getting comfortable in the positions. Since lower back sciatic nerve pain tends to be tied to bulging discs, which are made worse by bending forward, the stretches and exercises we’ve chosen for this program work to bend your spine gently backward, pushing the disc back into place, while stretching and strengthening the muscles that surround it. This will help you get yourself out of pain and into a new lifestyle of healthy movement.
Part two (week two) focuses on maintaining proper alignment and balance as you move. Working with the same postures as part one, part two incorporates reps (repeated movements) and guides you as you move between start and end positions. The goal here is to learn how your body behaves and feels while moving with correct posture.
Part three makes up weeks three and four of the program. In this part, you’ll combine alignment and balance, continue with reps, work on coordination, and ramp up the intensity. The goal of this last part is to challenge yourself and build endurance.
How much time will it take?
All of the routines in this program are meant to be completed in ten minutes or less.
To make the corrections stick, we recommend you do these routines daily or every other day. You need to convince your body to change by repeating the correct movement over and over until it becomes normal!
The three parts of the program are mapped out to span four weeks, but we encourage you to listen to your body and go at your own pace. Maybe that means spending an extra week or two in Part Two of the program – maybe that means continuing to do Part Three for years to come. Do what feels right for you.
How to get started:
Please consult your healthcare professional before you begin any new program.
For this program, all you’ll need is a Primal 7 system and the seven videos below.
Essentially, the instructional videos are all about learning and the follow-along videos are all about doing. Be sure to watch the instructional videos first, so you can complete the follow-along videos with perfect form.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: GET TO KNOW YOUR LOWER BACK SCIATIC NERVE
WEEK 1: ALIGNMENT
WEEK 2: BALANCE
WEEKS 3-4: COORDINATION
About our Instructor:
Jenna Ellis is a Physical Therapist. Throughout her ten-year career, she has specialized in orthopedics, post-op surgical patients and young athletes. Jenna has also worked in the homecare setting and loves getting people of all ages back to the game of life. Prior to becoming a Physical Therapist, she was an Athletic Trainer working with high school and college-level athletes.
Jenna obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Medicine Athletic Training from the University of South Florida in 2007 and then went on to graduate from the University of Central Florida with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2010.
You can learn more about Jenna here.
We’re listening.
We hope that our Lower Back Sciatic Nerve Pain Relief Program helps you not only relieve your pain but also improve your everyday movements and Conquer Your Can’t. We’d love to hear about your progress and are always open to suggestions as to what we can do to make our programs better. Whether you want to share an update, request a new program, or give us feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out.
You can comment below, email us at info@primal7.com, or call us at 512-899-2054.