Further Improvement in Sciatic Symptoms
Left-sided sciatica I developed in December 2021 appears to be improving after weeks of avoiding running, rowing, and cycling. Sleeping face up with a thin pillow under my calves has also helped.
Tied down with work and experiencing some DOMS in my calves, I took a break from exercise on Saturday, February 12, 2022.
On the following day (February 13), I did 52 minutes of stair climbing. And, to break the monotony of climbing stairs, I went for a 6.8-kilometer walk on reasonably flat terrain the following day (February 14) – this took about 1 hour 10 minutes. Yesterday, I stair climbed for 54 minutes – I believe I’m getting the hang of this exercise because I’m going up and down the stairs faster!
My back pain has disappeared entirely, and the numbness and paresthesia in the back of my left thigh and my left foot have improved. I attribute the improvement of my sciatic symptoms to two things:
- Avoidance of exercises that would probably place excessive stress on my lower back, e.g., running, rowing, cycling; and
- Sleeping face up with a thin pillow under my calves.
