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Overcoming Lower Back Pain with Chiropractic

Stretches for Sciatica

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A quick google search for stretches for sciatica will reveal hundreds of websites and videos that show how to stretch for sciatic nerve symptoms. Some of that information may be extremely beneficial. Some of that information may be prolonging your recovery and making your condition worse. Our San Diego based chiropractors treat many conditions that irritate the sciatic nerve.

There are many different causes of sciatic nerve irritation so each patient may receive a different treatment approach depending on their presentation. One common occurrence that we see however is that many patients are already performing stretches for the sciatic nerve. When asked to show the stretches, the patient often puts out a straight leg and bends forward to touch their toes. We then ask, “What are you feeling when you are stretching?” and the response is, “A really good stretch from my butt all the way to my calf.” The issue with this stretch is that, there is no muscle that goes from the butt down to the middle calf. What they are feeling is the sciatic nerve being pulled and stretched.

Sciatica Stretches San Diego

This is likely a stretch that will irritate the sciatic nerve. Especially is the sciatica is due to a back injury.

Should I do Stretches for Sciatica?

Maybe. This is when the advice from our San Diego sciatic nerve specialistS becomes invaluable. In general, nerves do not like to be stretched; they are inflexible and not made of the same tissues as your muscles. The stretch described above can be very aggravating to the sciatic nerve. When the leg is straight and a person bends forward at the waist to stretch the legs out, the sciatic nerve is maximally stretched. The low back is pulling the sciatic nerve up and the foot on the ground is keeping the nerve anchored. The nerve is very tense in this position and will get irritated if there is a condition affecting the nerve.

Stretches for sciatica should be prescribed specifically for each patient. That is why an evaluation by our San Diego sports chiropractor can help get you on a proper treatment plan immediately. One of the stretches that can be safe for most sciatic nerve issues is a lying face up active hamstring stretch. The video below shows the stretch in action. The idea is the low back is in a safe, neutral position. The thigh is brought up toward the chest and stays there when the patient slowly straightens the leg. Once a stretch is felt in the hamstrings not the sciatic nerve, the leg stops moving. There will be a significant bend in the knee. This means there is slack in the sciatic nerve as it is no longer getting stretched from the low back while anchored to the ground with a straight leg. The nerve will not get irritated in this position. If you have back pain, hip pain, back of leg pain or any symptoms that you associate with sciatic nerve pain, avoid this stretch and seek the help from your San Diego chiropractor. Perform 20 repetitions with only a brief hold, repeat multiple times per day. 


Dr. Kevin Rose DC DACBSP and Dr.Travis Rose DC CCSP are Sports Chiropractors located in Mission Valley, San Diego. We are near the neighborhoods of Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Bird Rock, La Jolla, Clairemont Mesa, Tierrasanta, La Mesa, Mission Hills, Hillcrest, and Downtown. They see a wide variety of injuries including: running injuries, baseball injuries, swimming injuries, cycling injuries, and other sport related injuries. Schedule to get evaluated and treated today!

Sports That Cause Back Pain

Four Sports That Affect Your Back The Most

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Participation in sports is an important part of people’s daily routine and many enjoy staying active by engaging in different sports to help maintain a healthy lifestyle! While staying active is a vital part of everyday life, sports such as golf, baseball, basketball, and football are prone to cause injury and pain, especially in the lower back. Knowing which sports are likely to affect specific areas of the back can help with identifying the right preventive action steps. Below is a simple list of how these four sports affect your back and a few ways to fix the issues that may arise:

Golf

Although golf is often seen as an activity of leisure, injuries that result from this sport are very common. One recent study showed that during a two year period, 60 percent of golf professionals and 40 of amateurs suffered either a traumatic or overuse injury while golfing. Over 80 percent of the reported injuries were related to overuse. Of all injuries, low back pain is the most common in golf. This can be contributed to the one side nature of the swing and the repetitive nature of the swing. This causes repeated use and eventually overuse of certain muscles and joints, especially in the lumbar spine, and over time can lead to injury. In some causes, older golfers may experience arthritic changes in their spine that has resulted from the repetitive nature of the golf swing. Interestingly, most golfers get back pain on the side of their back swing.

Baseball

Baseball players are more susceptible to lower back injuries because, similar to golf, baseball is a predominately one-sided sport that requires repeated motion to perfect. In baseball players, the repeated rotation of both swinging and throwing can lead to overload of the tissues of the low back and, over time, can cause strain of the muscles and joints of the area. Notable players repeated bouts of low back pain this season include David Wright, Shane Victorino, and Adrian Beltre.

Basketball

Unlike baseball and golf, basketball is not a one-sided sport, which can help players be more balanced. However, the risk to the low back that occurs with basketball is repeated jumping. The repeated explosive pattern of jumping and the jarring during landing can lead to overload of the spine and result in injury to the ligaments or bone. Recently, several high profile players, including Blake Griffin and Joel Embiid, suffered stress fractures in their lower back that were believed to be caused by the repeated loading of their spine.

Football

Football is a sport that requires much physical wear and tear on the body. It is said that playing football is like being in multiple crashes repeatedly. The effect on the low back can be profound. Some football players may develop earlier onset of arthritis in their spine from the repeated trauma.

Professional athletes understand the deleterious effects that their sport have on their bodies and for this reason they seek out care to treat their injuries and maintain their bodies. Amateur athletes often put the same wear and tear on their bodies but do not take care of themselves in the same manner. Proform Sports Chiropractic treats professional athletes and amateur athletes alike while specializing in professional care for all. Schedule an appointment today to get treated like a pro.