Mckenzie Exercises for Sciatica Pain in Buttocks and Hip

Developed by Robin McKenzie, a physical therapist from New Zealand, the McKenzie Method is a comprehensive method of care primarily used in physical therapy that utilizes strategies of self-treatment. Also known as Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), the McKenzie Exercises for sciatica pain in buttocks and hip minimize the use of manual procedures with only a trained therapist to support the patient.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is a kind of back pain which occurs when there is pressure or injury to your sciatic nerve which runs from your lower back all the way down to the back of each of your legs.

This pain spreads to the hip, buttocks, and leg. How will you know if the pain in your back is caused by sciatica? If you have any or most of the following symptoms, you are likely to have this condition:

Constant pain that occurs on your rear but only on one side.

A tingling or burning sensation down your leg.

Shooting pain in your lower back that extends to your leg which can make it difficult for you to stand up.

Numbness or weakness in your foot or leg.

Pain in your leg or rear which worsens when you are sitting.

Difficulty moving your foot or leg.

There is occasional pain from your lower back all the way to your toes.

Sciatica can be debilitating if it becomes chronic and severe while for some the condition may simply be inconvenient and irritating; it doesn’t mean that this will not get worse because it can and it does if it is left untreated. If you experience numbness in your upper thighs, fecal and/or urinary incontinence, and a progressive weakness in your lower extremity, seek medical attention immediately.

The most common cause of sciatica is the irritation of the root or roots of the lumbosacral spine or lower lumbar. Other causes may be:

A sedentary lifestyle.
Frequent wearing of high heels.
Breakdown of spinal discs that cushion the spaces between vertebrae (degenerative disc disease).
Sleeping on beds with mattresses that are too soft.
Narrowing of the lower back’s spinal canal (lumbar spinal stenosis).
Pregnancy (there is pressure on the woman’s sciatic nerve caused by fetal development).
One vertebra slipping forward over another vertebra (spondylolisthesis).
Herniated discs that have weakened as a result of aging; these can also develop in younger people when the gel-like centers of discs push through their outer lining and press on the sciatic nerve’s roots.
Tumors that may grow along or inside the sciatic nerve or spinal cord which put pressure on nerves branching off the latter.
Piriformis syndrome occurs when the muscle located deep within the hip that connects the upper bone of the thigh and the lower spine becomes inflamed or tight and irritates the sciatic nerve.

Getting Rid of Sciatic Pain Naturally

The McKenzie Exercises are preferred by people who spend a considerable length of time in seated positions. If you consider yourself a “desk jockey” or someone who sits behind a desk or in front of a computer much of the day like telephone operators, cashiers, call center agents, telemarketers, librarians, or self employed home business owners. you probably want to know how to get rid of sciatica pain naturally. Prolonged sitting causes intervertebral spinal discs to bulge out.

This, in turn, encourages the spine to take on a flexed posture and result not only in pain but inhibited extension of the spine. If your job calls for you to sit the whole day, learn how to fix sciatica without surgery with the McKenzie Exercises. These exercises enable displaced discs to return to their correct positions and help alleviate spinal pain by allowing the spine to move more freely.

The Five Stages of the McKenzie Exercises

There are five stretches for sciatica diagrams used in the McKenzie Exercises. Although they are all progressive positions, you may find it difficult to work through the five stages right away if the back pain you experience is acute. In this case, you should work through as many stages as you can, progressing further only if your pain has subsided.

Prevent Sciatic Pain While You Sleep

It could be extremely painful, not to mention terribly inconvenient, to experience sciatic pain while you sleep. There are actually various sleeping positions which can help relieve the pressure on your sciatic nerve. Here are some tips on how to sleep with sciatica that you might want to consider:

Align your neck’s level with your spine instead of below or above it to prevent neck pain when you wake up.

Sleep on a firm or harder mattress instead of on a soft one to lend support not only to your head but to your shoulders and knees as well.

For side sleepers, bring your top knee up toward the head and place a couple of firm pillows underneath it so there is no pressure on your sciatic nerve.

If you are a back sleeper, place one or two pillows under the knees and lift them above the hips.

How Long Will Sciatica Take To Heal?

If your sciatica symptoms are mild and do not last longer than 4-8 weeks, it is most likely a form called acute sciatica. In this case medical attention is most likely not needed. In order for a doctor to accurately diagnose the condition a complete medical history may help him determine one’s likelihood of chronic sciatica. As part of the treatment your doctor will have you perform many of these basic exercises that stretch the sciatic nerve.

Reduce Your Lower Back Pain Without Exercising

There’s good news for you if, for whatever reason, you are unable to do the McKenzie Exercises. Kyrobak is an automated device designed with the revolutionary Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) technology to help reduce the pain in your lower back and increase your mobility.

Regardless of whether the back pain you experience is the result of sciatica or other back pain causes, Kyrobak will provide you with passive, gentle movement in the affected area.

This will enable your joints to go through predetermined motions to loosen tight muscles and release pressure between your vertebrae to relieve pain. Kyrobak’s clinically proven CPM and Oscillation Therapy does not require you to do exercises or stretch; in fact, you are fully rested during a treatment. And because Kyrobak has a compact design, you can bring it anywhere and use it anytime.

Longer-Lasting Back Pain Relief

Kyrobak is capable of increasing blood flow and more oxygen to the painful area while allowing your muscles to relax. And Kyrobak is so easy to use. Just plug in its power supply and you are ready to start your treatment. Ten minutes every day is all you need to get back pain relief.

Doing the McKenzie Exercises for a painful sciatica is good but if you don’t have the opportunity, or even the luxury of time to do them, try Kyrobak.