Driving Back Exercises for Sciatica

Note: Always Keep your eyes on the road.

Exercise #1

Firstly, don’t fall into the “driver’s slump” (or “PC slump” if you’re at your desk). Sit up straight and try to “grow an inch” by bringing your shoulders back and llifting your head so that your upper spine is erect and in more of a straight line.

Stay in this position for 30 seconds while taking fuil slow breaths in and out.

Next, roll your shoulders forward 3 times and then backwards 3 times while holding the steering wheel. Gently pull your shoulder blades down and back toward your tailbone. This movement helps to exercise your middle back muscles and also helps to loosen shoulder muscles, which tighten with stress.

Exercise #2

Tighten your abdominal muscles to scoop up your belly and pull in your waistline so that your navel moves towards your spine and takes the stress off the lower, lumbar spine.

Exercise #3

The “buttock clench”. Imagine that you have a winning lottery ticket and grasp it and hold it tightly between your cheeks while counting to 10.

Doing this exercise helps counter the numbness in the large gluteal muscles in your posterior that occurs from prolonged sitting, whether in the car or at your desk. She also advises men to remove their wallets from their back pants pockets since sitting on them can add to the numbness and increase the risk of painful sciatica.

Exercise #4

Grip the wheel. Clench as tightly as possible, then release. At the same time, try to relax your shoulders and sit up straight. Repeat 30 times in about a minute.

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The Good News

By doing back exercise in the right way, sufficiently often you can keep your back healthy and strong.

There is a variety of exercises that help. Many are simple and can be learnt by anybody with a bit of practice. So even if your back already hurts, or is strained, there is a good chance that you can make it better.

Note: If you’re already sick, or your back really hurts and you think you’ve injured yourself, go and see a health practitioner.

  
The Not-So-Good News

If you don’t exercise reasonably regularly, especially as you age, the muscles supporting and surrounding your back will get weaker and stiffer over time.

Then these muscles won’t be able to work well enough when you most need them to - when you put a strain on your back.

It’s then much more likely that your will injure your back when you do place a strain - even a small one - on it.

Your back can get injured from an action as simple as reaching for something on your desk. More frequently it’s from a more obvious strain such as lifting something heavy, especially if your posture is bad as you do it.

 

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