Sciata nerve pain during Jefferson curl

I wanted to follow up on this thread. I have the same question. It was never really addressed in the thread.

Even trying to "hinge at the hips" I still get moderate sciata nerve pain doing the Jefferson curls, even with lower load, like 45-55lbs. This of course can is not inhibiting to the exercise if it's minimal (though it is if it is stronger). I've been doing Jeffersons for about 2 years and while the exercise has gotten much easier on my hamstrings it still feel it in the nerve.

I have two questions..

Do you recommend "Flossing" or other exercises to minimize the sciata? Is feeling more sciata pain a sign of a specific weakness in the exercise? I feel it in many exercises so it is a general problem for me and something I need to address.

5 hours ago, Sam Petulla said:

I wanted to follow up on this thread. I have the same question. It was never really addressed in the thread.

Even trying to "hinge at the hips" I still get moderate sciata nerve pain doing the Jefferson curls, even with lower load, like 45-55lbs. This of course can is not inhibiting to the exercise if it's minimal (though it is if it is stronger). I've been doing Jeffersons for about 2 years and while the exercise has gotten much easier on my hamstrings it still feel it in the nerve.

I have two questions..

Do you recommend "Flossing" or other exercises to minimize the sciata? Is feeling more sciata pain a sign of a specific weakness in the exercise? I feel it in many exercises so it is a general problem for me and something I need to address.

Hi Sam, the first suggestion is to avoid exercises that cause pain.

second...check for a PT and understand as soon as possible the reason for the problem. 

20 hours ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

Hi Sam, the first suggestion is to avoid exercises that cause pain.

second...check for a PT and understand as soon as possible the reason for the problem. 

On point one, I'm not sure that's advice I can follow. Pain, experienced as lactic acid build-up during load, is experienced by just about everyone who does GB I suspect.

On the second, I'll check with the local GB affiliate. 

40 minutes ago, Sam Petulla said:

On point one, I'm not sure that's advice I can follow. Pain, experienced as lactic acid build-up during load, is experienced by just about everyone who does GB I suspect.

On the second, I'll check with the local GB affiliate. 

Sam,

There is a distinct difference between fatigue and ‘pain’.  If you are experiencing pain, you need to reduce load or discontinue the movement.

Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer

A few years ago I had severe sciatic nerve pain that was caused by a bulging disk from deadlifting, and it lasted for 3-4 years...and I'm talking so bad that I thought there was no coming back. I couldn't sit in chairs, and I could barely walk until around noon when my body would've loosened up. It felt like I had a toothache in my leg all the time if that makes sense.  I would be very cautious about doing anything that could make this worse. I am completely pain free now, but occasionally notice a slight phantom "tinge" of pain when I stretch my hamstrings - this is possibly only psychological pain, but I take it seriously.

It's hard to say what exactly made it better, but I'll reiterate that you should treat it seriously, and don't continue just for the sake of checking off some ideal list of exercises you think you should be doing...this took me from being an athletic young stud to basically an overweight dad-body beginner over the decade or so of dealing with it/the aftermath. As I said, I'm literally starting at the beginning all over again, and when I get to a point where I can do jefferson curls (currently just trying to get my palms on the floor!) then I will be proceeding with caution. I have a suspicion that Jefferson Curls are the secret ingredient to dealing with sciatic nerve pain, because they seem to be strengthening the very weakness that causes it (often)...but I am just a guy on the internet, and no expert, and I have not even reach the point where I can begin to dabble...

Hopefully this gives you something to think about!