McKenzie Exercises

McKenzie exercises offer hope for the sciatica sufferer.

This first video is targeted towards people who have sciatica due to a disc problem, like disc bulge or disc herniation.

Click here to see the second video, focusing on pain due to piriformis syndrome, and how to tell the difference between true sciatica and piriformis  syndrome.  Often the pain  symptoms are very similar, but the cause is different.

Dr George Best shares a demonstration and explanation of McKenzie exercises.

In this video, he covers the concept of centralisation. While doing McKenzie exercises, the pain should move away from the extremety and closer to the spine. This indicates progress is being made in the right direction. In other words, if the pain radiates from the spine all the way down the leg to the foot, you are looking for the pain to leave the foot area and move closer to the spine.

Basic McKenzie Exercise

The basic movement involves lying face down on a firm surface and propping yourself up with the arms. Very similar to the cobra pose in yoga.  This particular McKenzie exercise involves spinal extension. Some of the other McKenzie movements involve spinal flexion. Dr George is simply demonstrating a basic introductory move.

There are several different modifications that can be done, turning to the left or right. All the while paying attention to whether the pain gets closer to the spine and moves away from the furthest point from the back. Since everyone is different, experimentation is needed to figure out which position is best.

The positions are held 1-2 minutes. Never hold a position that makes the pain worse further down the leg.  Dr. George recommends practicing several times per day.

The Benefit of McKenzie

The idea is to squeeze the discs away from the nerves. With repeated times and repetition, the disc may become more stable and stay off the nerve. If you are lucky, over time the pain can work it’s way out of the leg, and eventually out of the back altogether.

This method is not for everybody. Consult with your personal health professional to see if this may be right for you.

Learn more about Dr. George Best here