I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW. YOU ARE LIKELY SITTING ON THE EDGE OF YOUR CHAIR — OR MAYBE YOU ARE LYING FLAT ON THE HARD KITCHEN FLOOR — WONDERING IF YOU SHOULD EVEN ATTEMPT TO GET UP AND MOVE. THE PAIN RADIATING DOWN YOUR LEG FEELS LIKE A BOLT OF LIGHTNING, AND THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS MAKE IT WORSE. FOR DECADES, THE STANDARD MEDICAL ADVICE FOR SCIATICA WAS SIMPLE: "GO TO BED AND STAY THERE UNTIL IT STOPS HURTING."
BUT I AM HERE TO TELL YOU AS SOMEONE WHO HAS HELPED 5,200+ CLIENTS RECLAIM THEIR LIVES, THAT OLD-SCHOOL ADVICE IS ACTUALLY COSTING YOU YOUR RECOVERY!! THE TRUTH ABOUT WALKING VS. RESTING ISN’T JUST A MATTER OF OPINION — IT IS A MATTER OF BIOLOGY. IF YOU WANT TO STOP THE SUFFERING AND GET BACK TO YOUR NORMAL LIFE, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOUR COUCH IS BECOMING YOUR ENEMY AND HOW PROPER MOVEMENT IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.
1. THE DANGEROUS MYTH OF PROLONGED BED REST
LET’S BE HONEST — WHEN YOUR SCIATIC NERVE IS SCREAMING, THE IDEA OF STAYING IN BED SOUNDS LIKE A DREAM. YOU THINK YOU ARE PROTECTING YOUR SPINE. YOU THINK YOU ARE GIVING THAT HERNIATED DISC TIME TO REABSORB. BUT HERE IS THE COLD, HARD TRUTH: IF YOU STAY IN BED FOR MORE THAN 24 TO 48 HOURS, YOU ARE LIKELY MAKING YOUR SCIATICA WORSE!!
PROLONGED REST CAUSES YOUR MUSCLES TO STIFFEN UP AND YOUR JOINTS TO BECOME "RUSTY." MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOUR NERVES NEED BLOOD FLOW TO HEAL. WHEN YOU ARE STATIONARY, CIRCULATION SLOWS DOWN. WITHOUT THAT FRESH, OXYGENATED BLOOD REACHING THE NERVE ROOTS, INFLAMMATION STICKS AROUND LONGER THAN AN UNWANTED HOUSEGUEST. I HAVE SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE ENTER A DOWNWARD SPIRAL BECAUSE THEY WERE TOLD TO REST, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE LESS THEY MOVED, THE MORE SENSITIVE THEIR NERVOUS SYSTEM BECAME.
IF YOU STAY IMMOBILE, YOUR BRAIN STARTS TO PERCEIVE ALL MOVEMENT AS A THREAT. THIS IS CALLED "FEAR-AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR," AND IT IS THE FASTEST WAY TO TURN A TEMPORARY INJURY INTO A CHRONIC DISABILITY. WE HAVE HELPED 5,200+ CLIENTS BREAK THIS CYCLE BY SHOWING THEM THAT MOVEMENT — WHEN DONE RIGHT — IS ACTUALLY THE BEST MEDICINE.
2. WHY WALKING IS THE ULTIMATE "NATURAL LOTION" FOR YOUR JOINTS
WALKING IS A LOW-IMPACT ACTIVITY THAT ACTS LIKE A PUMP FOR YOUR SPINAL DISCS. AS YOU WALK, THE GENTLE COMPRESSION AND DECOMPRESSION HELP TO CIRCULATE NUTRIENTS INTO THE DISCS AND FLUSH OUT WASTE PRODUCTS. IT IS LITERALLY "LUBRICATING" YOUR SPINE!! BEYOND THE PHYSICAL ASPECT, WALKING TRIGGERS THE RELEASE OF ENDORPHINS — YOUR BODY’S NATURAL PAIN-FIGHTING CHEMICALS.
IF YOU CAN WALK, YOU WILL LIKELY FIND THAT YOUR PAIN LEVELS START TO DROP AFTER THE FIRST 5 OR 10 MINUTES. BUT — AND THIS IS A BIG "BUT" — YOU HAVE TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. I KNOW YOU MIGHT BE AFRAID THAT WALKING WILL PINCH THE NERVE FURTHER, BUT RESEARCH SHOWS THAT GENTLE WALKING CAN REDUCE THE RISK OF RECURRING DISCOMFORT BY UP TO 33%. IT IS A NO-BRAINER IF YOU WANT TO STAY OUT OF THE SURGEON'S OFFICE.
3. STEP 1: BALANCE OUT IMBALANCES BEFORE YOU START WALKING
THIS IS THE PART WHERE MOST PHYSICAL THERAPISTS GET IT WRONG, AND IT IS THE FIRST STEP IN MY PROVEN 3-STEP SYSTEM. YOU CANNOT JUST START WALKING IF YOUR BODY IS CROOKED!! IF YOUR PELVIS IS TILTED OR YOUR SPINE IS SHIFTED TO ONE SIDE (WHICH IS INCREDIBLY COMMON FOR SCIATICA SUFFERERS), EVERY STEP YOU TAKE IS LIKE DRIVING A CAR WITH AN OUT-OF-ALIGNMENT AXLE. YOU WILL JUST WEAR OUT THE TIRES FASTER!!
BEFORE WE FOCUS ON WALKING FOR RECOVERY, WE MUST ENSURE YOUR BODY IS BALANCED. IF YOU ARE "WOBBLY" OR LEANING AWAY FROM THE PAIN, WALKING WILL ACTUALLY AGGRAVATE THE NERVE. MY CLIENTS START BY PERFORMING SPECIFIC BODY-BALANCING EXERCISES TO RESET THE FRAME. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HOW THIS WORKS, CHECK OUT THIS GUIDE ON NON-SURGICAL RELIEF.
4. STEP 2: STABILIZE IN YOUR NEWLY BALANCED POSITION
ONCE WE GET YOU STRAIGHT, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU STAY THERE. THIS IS STEP 2 OF MY SYSTEM. STABILIZATION DOES NOT MEAN DOING 1,000 CRUNCHES. IT MEANS TEACHING YOUR CORE MUSCLES TO SUPPORT YOUR SPINE WHILE YOU MOVE. IF YOU ARE WALKING WITHOUT STABILITY, YOUR SPINE IS SUBJECTED TO "MICRO-TRAUMA" WITH EVERY STEP.
I OFTEN TELL MY CLIENTS THAT STABILITY IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN BEING "STUCK ON THE COUCH" AND "WALKING THE DOG." WITHOUT THIS BRIDGE, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF IN A CYCLE OF FEELING GOOD FOR A DAY AND THEN CRASHING FOR THREE. WE HAVE TAUGHT 5,200+ PEOPLE HOW TO FIND THAT STABILITY SO THEY CAN WALK WITHOUT FEAR.
5. STEP 3: RETURN TO NORMAL SLOWLY AND WISELY
THIS IS THE FINAL STAGE WHERE WALKING BECOMES YOUR PRIMARY REHAB TOOL. BUT YOU CAN'T JUST JUMP INTO A 3-MILE HIKE!! YOU HAVE TO RETURN TO NORMAL WISELY. I ADVISE MY CLIENTS TO START WITH WHAT I CALL "MICRO-WALKS."
IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY STRUGGLING, A MICRO-WALK MIGHT ONLY BE 2 TO 5 MINUTES. THAT’S OKAY!! THE GOAL IS FREQUENCY, NOT DISTANCE. WALKING 5 MINUTES THREE TIMES A DAY IS MUCH BETTER FOR A SENSITIVE NERVE THAN TRYING TO POWER THROUGH ONE 15-MINUTE WALK THAT LEAVES YOU LIMPING. YOU ARE BUILDING TOLERANCE AND SHOWING YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM THAT MOVEMENT IS SAFE.
6. THE "GOLDEN RULES" FOR SCIATICA WALKING FORM
TO ENSURE WALKING IS HELPING AND NOT HURTING, YOU MUST FOLLOW THESE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES. IF YOU IGNORE THESE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL STAY ON THE COUCH:
- SHORTEN YOUR STRIDE: DO NOT TAKE BIG, LONG STEPS!! TAKING LARGE STEPS OVERSTRETCHES THE HAMSTRINGS AND PULLS ON THE SCIATIC NERVE. KEEP YOUR STRIDES SHORT AND CONTROLLED — AIM FOR ABOUT 12 TO 18 INCHES PER STEP.
- ENGAGE YOUR CORE: THINK ABOUT LIGHTLY PULLING YOUR BELLY BUTTON TOWARD YOUR SPINE. THIS PROVIDES A "NATURAL BACK BRACE" THAT PROTECTS THE SENSITIVE NERVE ROOTS.
- HEEL-TO-TOE ROLL: MAKE SURE YOU ARE LANDING SOFTLY ON YOUR HEEL AND ROLLING THROUGH TO YOUR TOES. DO NOT SLAP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND!! THE SHOCKWAVE FROM A HEEL STRIKE CAN TRAVEL STRAIGHT UP TO YOUR LOW BACK.
- CHECK YOUR HEAD POSITION: LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD, NOT AT YOUR FEET. LOOKING DOWN ROUNDS YOUR SHOULDERS AND PUTS UNNECESSARY STRAIN ON YOUR LOWER SPINE.
7. WHEN SHOULD YOU ACTUALLY STOP AND REST?
I AM NOT SAYING YOU SHOULD NEVER REST. IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A "FLARE-UP" WHERE THE PAIN IS A 10/10 AND YOU CANNOT FIND A COMFORTABLE POSITION, SHORT PERIODS OF REST ARE NECESSARY. BUT — AND THIS IS THE KEY — REST SHOULD ONLY BE USED TO CALM THE NERVOUS SYSTEM DOWN ENOUGH SO YOU CAN START STEP 1 OF MY PROCESS.
IF YOU FIND THAT WALKING CAUSES YOUR PAIN TO "PERIPHERALIZE" (TRAVEL FURTHER DOWN YOUR LEG TOWARD YOUR FOOT), THAT IS A SIGN TO STOP. WE WANT THE PAIN TO "CENTRALIZE" — MEANING IT MOVES OUT OF THE LEG AND BACK TOWARD THE SPINE. IF YOU ARE CONFUSED ABOUT THIS, READ OUR ARTICLE ON 3 MISTAKES SCIATICA SUFFERERS MAKE.
8. THE "WALK-REST" INTERVAL TECHNIQUE
FOR MANY OF MY 5,200+ CLIENTS, THE BEST WAY TO REINTRODUCE WALKING IS THROUGH INTERVALS. TRY WALKING FOR 3 MINUTES, THEN SITTING OR STANDING IN A NEUTRAL POSITION FOR 1 MINUTE. REPEAT THIS 3 TIMES. THIS PREVENTS THE NERVE FROM GETTING OVERHEATED OR IRRITATED WHILE STILL GIVING YOU THE BENEFITS OF CIRCULATION.
IF YOU DO THIS CONSISTENTLY, YOU WILL FIND THAT THE 3 MINUTES BECOMES 5, THEN 10, AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU ARE WALKING AROUND THE BLOCK WITHOUT THAT CONSTANT "GRIP" IN YOUR GLUTE. IT IS ABOUT PROVING TO YOUR BRAIN THAT YOU ARE IN CONTROL, NOT THE PAIN.
9. STOP GUESSING AND START HEALING
YOU HAVE PROBABLY TRIED THE INJECTIONS, THE PILLS, AND THE GENERIC STRETCHES THAT YOU FOUND ON YOUTUBE. MAYBE THEY WORKED FOR A DAY, BUT THE PAIN ALWAYS COMES BACK, DOESN'T IT? THAT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T ADDRESSED THE ROOT CAUSE. WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO WALK OR REST, NEITHER WILL PROVIDE LONG-TERM RELIEF IF YOUR BODY IS OUT OF BALANCE.
I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T WALK TO THEIR MAILBOX TRANSFORM INTO HIKERS AND GOLFERS AGAIN. ONE OF MY CLIENTS RECENTLY SHARED THAT AFTER 15 WEEKS IN OUR PROGRAM, SHE PLAYED 9 HOLES OF GOLF AFTER 10 MONTHS OF AGONY!! THIS IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU, TOO. DON'T LET FOMO SET IN WHILE YOU WATCH OTHERS LIVE THEIR LIVES — TAKE THE FIRST STEP TODAY.
IF YOU ARE TIRED OF THE "WAIT AND SEE" APPROACH, IT IS TIME FOR A PROVEN SYSTEM. WE HAVE HELPED 5,200+ PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU GET THEIR LIVES BACK WITHOUT SURGERY OR PILLS. THE CHOICE IS YOURS: STAY ON THE COUCH AND LET YOUR MUSCLES WITHER, OR LEARN HOW TO MOVE WISELY AND HEAL FOR GOOD.
READY TO STOP WONDERING AND START WALKING PAIN-FREE? CONTACT US TODAY AT SCIATICA RELIEF NOW LLC. LET’S GET YOU BALANCED, STABILIZED, AND BACK TO THE ACTIVITIES YOU LOVE!!
FOR MORE TIPS ON BEATING THIS PAIN, CHECK OUT 4 TIPS TO BEAT SCIATICA OR SEE IF YOU ARE MAKING THE COMMON MISTAKE OF STRETCHING THE WRONG SIDE.
STAY STRONG,
DEAN VOLK
CEO, SCIATICA RELIEF NOW LLC
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