Exercises for sciatica: spinal stenosis 

Transcript of Exercises for sciatica: spinal stenosis

EXERCISES FOR SCIATICA SPINAL STENOSIS My name is Sammy Margo.I'm a chartered physiotherapist. Today we're going to look at exercisesfor spinal stenosis. The main aimof spinal stenosis exercises is to strengthen the surrounding area,gap the joints, improve the scaffolding and just ensure thatthe area is strong, stable and we've gapped the jointsas much as possible. The exercises should take placein crook-line, in this position. You're lying on your back,on the floor or on a plinth or possibly on the bed if you reallycan't get yourself into a good position. You need to keep your knees bentand your low back flat. Usually with spinal stenosis, most patients prefer to be in moreof a foetal or a crook-line position as opposed to beingin an arched-back position. They usually, but not in all cases,find that they're more comfortable when they're more bent forwardthan when they're arched backwards. A lot of these exercisesare to help mobilise the joint. Starting off, can you ing your kneeup towards your chest? Put your hands on top of your knee. Gently, pull it down ten times. This will be gapping the joint. You don't need to engage your abdominalsat the moment. We'll move on to that. Some people with spinal stenosiseven like doing this in sitting. And ten. Let's do the other one. Gently place your legs down. Onto the other one, just pullingyour knee down towards your chest. One. Two. Three. Normally, it takes about tento help mobilise things. This is more of a gentle,gapping, mobilising, rhythmical, bouncing movement. Great. ing your leg down. Now ing both legs uptowards your chest. But be careful. If this is uncomfortable,you don't need to do both legs. For some of you,you may have a tummy in the way or you may be a little bit stiffor uncomfortable. As an advanced movement,you can do what we call stirring, a gentle rolling movementgoing all the way around. This is slightly more advanced. This is not for thosethat are experiencing any pain or discomforton the other movements. Then reverse it, the other way around.OK? Ten in each direction.Then ing your legs down, but gently. You don't want to putany undue strain on your low back. We're now going to get you up intositting to do some further exercises. Get yourself up. Over the side, please. Just, in this position,pull your knee up towards your chest. Doing that in sitting is quite a... Just drop it down. Pulling it up again. And drop it down.And again pull it up again. Keep it up thereand bounce up and down in that position. OK. Not everybody is goingto be able to do that. That's a good way in sittingto gap the joints. The main aim is to gap the joints. OK. Come and lie yourself down again,please. So, if you do feel any pain ordiscomfort, you need to stop. And then another very good exercisefor spinal stenosis is again... If you can feel my hand underneath you. Push down while you're pullingyour tummy muscles in, as hard as you can. And relax,but don't go into the arched position. And again. Push down, holding itfor five, four, three, two, one. And relax. You can do those ten times.Obviously, I won't be there. If you want to have a go at puttingyour hand under your back yourself... And just push down. Holding it, holding it, holding it. If you feel any pain or discomfort,stop and let it go. Another very useful exercisefor spinal stenosis is knee rolling, so rolling your knees from side to side. You might find that it'sa bit uncomfortable on one side. Pulling your tummy muscles in,just roll your knees from side to side. Side to side. We've got two things going onat once here. You're holding your tummy muscles in at the same timeas gapping the joints, side to side. Good. Just ten of those,rolling from side to side. OK. Just have a rest. The last is buttock squeezing. Squeezeyour buttocks as hard as you can. Suck your pelvic floor up and in as ifyou're stopping yourself from weeing. And relax. That's just good old contractions. Squeeze yourself as hard as you can.Hold it there. Two, three, four, five. And relax. And again. Squeeze your buttocksas hard as you can. Hold it there. Two, three, four, five. Relax. And one more. Squeeze in. Two, three, four, five. And relax. The main thinking that you have to havebehind spinal stenosis is really about gapping the joints asmuch as possible, stabilising the area, so that you'll be strong and you'll beable to take any pressure off the nerve. IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY PAINOR DISCOMFORT WHILE DOING THESE EXERCISES PLEASE STOPAND CONSULT YOUR GP FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO:www.nhs.uk/sciatica