Is Walking on A Treadmill Good for Sciatica?

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Are you looking for an answer on Is Walking on A Treadmill Good for Sciatica? If Yes, read on the guide and you will have it in less than 3 minutes!

Sciatic pain can be worse than we imagine. You feel this pain in every cell of your body, and you may constantly be feeling the shot of pain down your leg and don’t know what to do. There can be times that you can’t move out of your bed. You have come to the right place if the sciatic nerve has recently pained you. 

Is Walking on A Treadmill Good for Sciatica_

This article is all about possible causes, treatment options and recommended physiotherapy, if any. However, even the experts never clearly defined the benefits of walking on a treadmill if someone is sciatic. There are some benefits for sure: keeping your body engaged with activity like walking. 

Is walking on a treadmill good for sciatica 

It has never been clearly said or defined by doctors or health experts whether how much or less beneficial it is for someone sciatic to be walking on a treadmill. However, our typical instinct does tell us it can’t be all that bad; walking via a treadmill is rather beneficial for your body with this condition. 

Since the sciatic nerve is known as the longest nerve in the body, it does have a unique function and a significant role in the movement of our body. If that nerve is irritated by compression, it causes numbness and shooting pain through the legs and hips sometimes. 

There are different ways in which the sciatic nerve is affected, and there are all chances that the sciatic nerve can cause pain to almost 40% of people at some point or the other. There is a muscle around the sciatic nerve called Piriformis, which can cause a lot of pain if it tightens around the nerve. 

If your spinal column is narrowed in the lower back, that would be another reason for pain. Even in the case of herniated discs, you will experience sciatic pain. Walking on a treadmill may not be the ultimate solution but temporary support from any discomfort. 

Signs You Must Notice 

If your body feels some discomfort in your lower back regularly, it’s almost simple to tell, and you have sciatic nerve pain. Following signs will help you decide how severe the pain is and how seriously the matter needs to be taken. 

● It will be easy to diagnose this condition if the pain goes down from your hip down through the glutes and the back of your leg

● You can’t move around or go about your business smoothly because this pain might cause you to feel weak in the affected leg 

● If you are moving around too much in that pain, it might get intense

Treatment Options 

One of the best options to keep on top of sciatic nerve pain is movement; if you keep moving from time to time, you will not feel discomfort. 

● If you stay still for a long time, the shooting pain down your leg can get worse, and no one wants that 

● If you don’t feel fine enough to take a walk, you can always go for ice packs, stretching, and heating pads; they help in decreasing pain related to your irritated nerve

● Any form of physical exercise will help with improving sciatic symptoms

● Sitting for a long time may not help very much as it will put pressure on your nerves through glute muscles

Treadmill Walking 

Since we have read and studied a lot about walking as beneficial for sciatic discomfort, you will experience improvement with pain. When you walk on the treadmill, you will notice significant changes and decreased pain.

● Inflammation will decrease too because you are exercising even if it’s some form of walking, you will release endorphins that will make you feel better 

● When you go for treadmill walking, always remember to take small steps, never go into a power walk since you are still healing

● If it hurts you, stop immediately. Careful use of treadmill helps you release pressure off your sciatic nerve.

Sciatic Discomfort 

It’s hard not to feel discomfort when sciatic pain strikes; your body will feel almost stiff and unable to move.

● If stiffness is precisely what you are feeling, you must immediately consider taking a slow walk; and walk until your muscles feel relaxed

● Taking a short stroll might ease your nerve pain immediately 

● A slow treadmill walk will also be helpful, and one may gradually pace up only as much as your nerve can take 

Symptoms and Causes 

Sign that you should watch out for us intense pain running from your hip down through glutes to the back of your legs. When the sciatic nerve is irritated, it causes you to feel the following, and the different sensations might mean pain and difficulty in the overall body movement. 

● If you feel that the irritation is going down to the foot, you will sense numbness in your toes 

● When the discomfort happens because of compression or injury, you might experience pain through the legs and hips 

● Tightening of piriformis muscle around the sciatic nerve is one of the causes of discomfort 

Summary 

Is walking on a treadmill good for sciatica? 

We have often posed this question to ourselves if we are serious about our workout and regular exercising. Having a stressed sciatic nerve does not mean we should stop exercising or walking. You can’t do vigorous exercises, but physical activity such as walking will always help relax your muscles. 

FAQ

Is walking on a treadmill good for sciatica? 

Sciatica may cause a lot of pain and stiffness, but it does not stop you from practising any exercise daily. If you take slow walks on a treadmill, it is nothing to be scared about; such physical activity will only help recoup your energy levels. 

Does walking help with reducing stiffness? 

Stiffness can be reduced significantly if you start walking and exercising regularly. It is important to keep walking and doing some form of physical activity to keep your muscle relaxed. 

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I'm Jamie and I test out new models in sports retailers, or buy and sell them new or second hand so I can review a wide range of models and put together the best advise on which treadmill is right for you. So if you are looking for a cheap treadmill for walking, a gym quality treadmill to run sprints, or something in-between I can point you in the right direction.
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