I haven’t written much about my sciatica and sacrum pain so I wanted to give a quick update.

Back in August (on my birthday) I experienced jolts of pain all the way down my right leg into my ankle. After some foam rolling I was able to fix the ankle pain but still had pain in my right upper thigh and glute. It resolved with some rest and foam rolling, moved to the center of my sacrum and then switched over to the left leg where the pain shot down my left leg but stopped just above the knee.

The pain persisted week after week. When I woke in the morning there was no pain but by around dinner time it would return with a vengeance to the point that I was taking pain relievers in anticipation of the nightly pain. The more I moved, the better I felt, so I was up on my feet all day – walking, doing light cardio, standing at my desk while working, etc. When sitting or laying down there was no pain but the instant I stood up, the pain hit, lasting sometimes 30 seconds but usually not more than 10. Still, though, that 10 seconds of pain was like lightening fire in my leg. I dreaded sitting and laying down because of the fact that I would eventually have to get up and face that pain.

After around 6 weeks the pain, like a miracle, suddenly vanished. I thought, “Yay!” and went back to my normal exercise routine. For about a week all was good until I decided to add weigh. This was a bad idea and I reinjured my back (stupid me tried a deadlift) because it started all over again.

This month the pain has been manageable for the most part. The pain wouldn’t set in until well past dinner time and I learned that if I stood up a certain way I could manage the electric jolt of pain to a level of a 2-3 on a pain scale of 1-10 (10 being the worst). Okay. I can live with that. But I wondered, “Will I ever been pain-free again? Is this my new life?”

Nearly two weeks ago I was researching back pain, disc herniation, sciatica – everything – in search of something, anything, to help me completely erase the pain. I did not want to go to a doctor. Doctor = pain meds or cortisone. There really isn’t much they can do. I had been researching on and off for months, trying various stretches, easing up on my exercise routine, but nothing so far had worked. This time, however, I found a book and knew I had to get it.

Treat Your Own Back by Robin McKenzie has been a game changer. Just like the author promised in the book, after two days of doing the first three exercises, the pain I felt upon standing just stopped. I would occasionally feel niggles here and there indicating it wasn’t completely gone, but my pain level was below 1, like almost nonexistent. After just two days!

Nearly two weeks in I am at zero pain. My back was stiff in the mornings for a while but even that is easing up. It is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

The McKenzie Method has been around for almost as long as I’ve been alive. I don’t know how I didn’t find any mention of it in my previous online searches. My guess is that for some reason I needed to experience the pain. My guess is that the pain was teaching me something about myself, and it did do that. I have long known I need to slow down and take it easy; be kind to my body. The pain has pretty much forced me to do that. The pain also made me listen to – my body, my emotions, my energy. I remember at one point I stopped avoiding the pain and just surrendered to it. I remember saying to myself when I felt the pain, “I am alive.” In some cases I would smile when I felt it (I know, weird) because it felt like it was reminding me to be in my body – IN it. I spend a lot of time disconnected from this physical reality. The pain was forcing me to reconnect with it.

Still, though, I’ve had enough of the pain and if I can help even one person avoid months of pain by sharing what I learned, then I will feel accomplished.

If you don’t buy the book (I got mine used for $5.99), then there are tons of videos online via YouTube that can show you the exercises. However, the book gives a ton of information about the spine, posture, and what is effective and ineffective. For example, the greatest mistake athletes (or those who train on a regular basis) make is going too fast and not giving their back enough time to heal. This was me. I was doing the right things and even had success but then rushed right back into my normal weight lifting exercises only to reinjure my back.

The First Three Exercises

These are considered first-aid exercises.

#1 Lying prone (face down). Lay with your arms beside your body and your head to one side. Breathe deeply and let your hips and lower back relax. Hold for 30 seconds or longer, as needed.

#2 Lying face down in extension (like Sphinx pose). From lying prone, move your elbows to rest directly underneath your shoulders and lift your chest, shoulders, and head creating a 90-degree angle in your elbow. Your palms should be face down on the floor. Take a few deep breaths and then return to lying prone (#1).

#3. Extension in lying (like Cobra pose). Place your hands under your shoulders with your fingers pointing toward the top of the mat in a press-up position. Hug your elbows in to the sides of your body. Push the top part of your body as far up as you can. Allow your low back to sag and your pelvis, hips and legs to relax. Take a few deep breaths and return to exercise #1.

The Other Exercises

These exercises are for when the pain is no longer severe and are more for prevention of low back problems

#4. Extension in Standing. Stand up with your feet hip width apart. Place your hands on your lower back just above your hips, fingers facing down. Lean backwards as far as you can while keeping your knees straight. Hold for a few seconds and return to standing position. Repeat and try to go a bit further back each time. This is a great exercise to do before and after you do any kind of lifting or extended bending.

#5. Flexion in lying (knees to chest). Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Pull your knees into your chest without lifting your head. Hold the position for a few breathes. Release legs back to the position. Do not straighten your legs as you lower them but keep the knees bent. When you finish 4-6 rounds of this exercise do exercise #3 right after.

#6. Flexion in sitting. Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor wider than hip width apart. Let your hands rest between your knees. Slowly bend forward and touch the floor with your hands. Return to the starting position. Repeat six times, each time going lower. Follow with #3 immediately after.

#7. Flexion in standing (like Forward Fold). Stand upright with your feet hip width apart. Bend forward while running your fingers along the tops of your legs as far as you can go. Return to standing and repeat, trying to reach a bit further each time. Immediately follow with #3.

Posture

When sitting – keep the natural lordosis in the spine by using a lumbar roll or rolled up towel. I use whatever I can find when I sit, usually a rolled up towel. I have not purchased anything yet and am not sure I will since the towel works so well for me. I notice my posture is especially problematic when I drive or sit on our sofa. I don’t sit on our sofa anymore. When I drive I use a rolled up coat and have the seat lumbar position at its highest.

When sleeping – I don’t have issues when I sleep but some might. Sleeping on your back is best but only if you have a good mattress that allows for natural lordosis of the spine. You can also put a rolled up towel under your back but I can’t image this is comfortable. I have not needed to do anything for back sleeping. For side sleepers (like me), sleep with a pillow between your knees. I have a body pillow and have used it for years.

When Standing – Proper standing posture is with chest lifted, stomach pulled in and glutes (butt) tightened. If you find your shoulders sagging forward or lower back hurting you have likely lost proper posture. I use a standing desk and when my shoulders start to sag I do exercise #4 extension in standing and then take a short walk because when we walk our spine has natural lordosis (this is why movement is helpful for the pain).

All of this is just a summary of the book’s helpful aspects. It also includes info on what to do when the exercises don’t work, special situations such as pregnancy and common remedies and solutions. It is a short read of only 78 pages and contains detailed illustrations for reference.