Ladies–have you ever had sciatica?
That sharp, shooting pain that goes from your butt down the back of your leg towards your knee?
So many women in their 50s and beyond experience sciatica symptoms, but what you are being told is the issue isn’t the entire story…
In my experience, most women are told–from their physician or other trusted sources–that the issue with their sciatica symptoms has to do with a specific nerve being pinched or irritated.
This nerve–called the sciatic nerve–lives right in the areas where the symptoms are, and it is often said that the muscles around the nerve, such as the piriformis, will pinch it or irritate it, causing the pain that shoots from the butt down the back of the leg.
The proposed remedy? Stretch and relax the piriformis muscle so it stops irritating the sciatic nerve.
There, problem solved.
But not really…
See, if the piriformis muscle being tight or squishing the sciatic nerve really is the issue, the next logical question that should be asked is, “Why is that happening?”
But this rarely gets brought up.
Instead, so many women go to countless hours of physical therapy, spending hundreds of dollars in copays and weeks of their lives only to find themselves in the exact same place where they began–with pain down the back of their leg.
Is there a better solution than what is currently being offered to the masses?
Fortunately, in my experience, that answer is a resounding yes.
See, when a muscle tightens up, it does so for a specific reason.
Sometimes it is to compensate for other muscles that aren’t able to work as well. Sometimes it is in response to being overworked itself. And sometimes it is tightening up to try to protect you from moving too far or doing too much with it.
The tightness is like an early warning sign from your body that something is awry. If you try to override the tightness signal, you may get some temporary short term relief, but it doesn’t last long.
This happens because the reason why the tightness was there to begin with was never addressed. So even though you override the tightness with stretching, massage, and foam rolling, once your body recovers from that it puts the tightness right back in place.
So what can you do instead?
In my experience, the most effective way to address sciatica symptoms is by helping the muscles throughout your body get stronger through Muscle Activation Techniques® and slow, focused strength training.
Muscle Activation Techniques®, or MAT®, helps identify where you have muscles that are not working properly, causing the muscles that are irritating the sciatic nerve to have to overwork.
By addressing these underactive muscles directly, the muscles that are irritating the nerve can calm down and the irritation can go away.
Combining that with focused strength training for the hips, knees, core, and shoulders, and many of my female clients who were experiencing sciatica are able to live their lives fully and without issues or symptoms.
Bar none, this combination of MAT® and strength training has created the greatest change for my clients in the shortest amount of time. The results continue to last as long as they continue to keep their muscle strength and function up, which means that not only do they get to live their lives without pain or symptoms, but they also get to live them as stronger, healthier versions of themselves.
If you are in the Chicagoland area and would like to get your body assessed with Muscle Activation Techniques® so you can see where you have muscles that aren’t working properly, you can book your initial consultation and assessment with me by clicking here.
You don’t have to get caught on the hamster wheel of the offerings of the medical system. You can continue to get stronger and live life on your terms, even if you have sciatica. All you have to do is switch your approach from trying to relax and loosen your muscles to focus on strengthening your muscles and improving their function with Muscle Activation Techniques®.
I can’t wait to see you on my MAT® table soon!
In strength and health,
Julie
Julie Cates is an experienced, certified, and insured National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Personal Trainer and mastery level Muscle Activation Techniques® (MAT®) Rx Specialist (MATRx).
She is one of 88 certified mastery level Resistance Training Specialists® (RTSm) in the world. This combination makes her style of training impactful and still preventative and restorative of joint and muscle issues and pain that are common with exercise.
Julie specializes in working with women 50 and over. Specifically, her main focus is working with women with bone density loss, muscle loss, Osteopenia, and Osteoporosis.
Julie has incredible experience working with brand new exercisers. Very specific types and styles of exercises are needed for restoring and maintaining bone density, and Julie guides her clients through these in a pain-free way.
She is also well experienced in helping women exercise even with various joint, bone, systemic, and neurological diagnoses. Julie is definitely your go-to personal trainer for women with Osteoporosis!
