Living with sciatica is never easy, and there really are days when it feels like moving around and being active are no longer doable because of the pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness. What started out as constant and irritating painful sensations may have reached the point of being incapacitating. To get back to your normal life, it’s essential to attain pain relief, such as with the use of low level laser therapy (LLLT) products, like the Handy Rx, in combination with recommended exercises.

Benefits of Exercise

It’s easy to think that exercise is counterintuitive for sciatica, but it’s actually better at providing pain relief than bed rest. When the pain flares up you will need rest for a day or two, but staying inactive longer than that can actually cause pain to worsen. Without exercise and movement, the back muscles and spinal structures become deconditioned, providing poor back support. This weakening can lead to back injury or strain, both causing nothing but pain.

A specific, controlled, and progressive exercise program that is tailored to address the underlying cause of your sciatic pain can provide pain relief, and conditions affected parts to help prevent recurrences of said pain. Movement actually helps exchange nutrients and fluids within the spinal discs, keeping them healthy and preventing pressure from building up on the sciatic nerve.

Additionally, using LLLT products like the Handy Rx can help speed up your healing process, providing fast and long-lasting pain relief so you can proceed to exercising safely.

Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief

Core Muscle Strength

As sciatica can lead to weakening not just of the legs, but also the back; targeting the core muscles can strengthen both the abdomen and back, providing more support. Stretching exercises also target muscles that cause pain when they are tight and inflexible. With gentle strengthening and regular stretching over time, it’s easier to recover from a flare up of sciatica, and future episodes of pain may be lessened. You can also use LLLT products, like the Handy Rx to provide fast and long-lasting pain relief, so you can recover from the flare up faster and proceed with exercising.

Hamstring Stretching

Most sciatica patients benefit from hamstring stretches that are easy on the lower back. Located in the back of the thigh, the hamstrings are muscles that, when overly tight, increase stress on the lower back, aggravating or even causing some of the conditions that result in sciatica.

To ensure pain relief, it’s important to stretch the hamstrings correctly. Without observing proper form, the exercise is ineffective, and may even cause continued or increased pain. If you find yourself in this situation, it helps to have LLLT products, like your Handy Rx device, to reduce the pain and recover faster from the strain.

Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic conditioning is another great way to stay in shape and maintain general body fitness, despite the mobility constraints posed by sciatica. For instance, walking is a great conditioning exercise because it has a relatively low impact on your back, but still provides you with all the benefits of a full aerobic workout. To strengthen your muscles, it’s best to gradually progress your workout, until you are able to do up to 3 miles of exercise walking at brisk pace everyday.

To ensure quick recovery and prevent yourself from experiencing pain after workouts, use LLLT products, like your Handy Rx, and exercise safely and confidently, knowing that you can keep your sciatica at bay, without causing your mobility and fitness to suffer any longer.

Exercise safely despite the constraints posed by sciatica. Use the Handy Rx LLLT product to recover faster from flare ups and prevent future pain episodes from occurring. Order your device online today!