Bob The Physio

08/04/2026

07/04/2026

🔥 CAN CORE EXERCISES HELP SCIATICA PAIN?

Short answer: Yes—but only if done properly.

🧠 What’s really happening with sciatica?

Sciatica is often linked to irritation of a lumbar nerve (commonly from disc issues, loading problems, or poor control around the spine).

👉 It’s not just about the disc—

It’s about how your body controls movement and load.

💪 How core exercises actually help

✅ Improve spinal stability

A strong and well-coordinated core reduces unnecessary movement and strain on the lower back.

✅ Reduce nerve irritation

Better control = less compressive and shear forces on the spine → less irritation of the nerve.

✅ Improve load tolerance

Your spine becomes more resilient to daily activities like sitting, bending, and lifting.

✅ Restore movement confidence

Many people with sciatica fear movement—core training rebuilds trust in the body.

⚠️ But here’s the mistake most people make

🚫 Doing random “core workouts” from YouTube

🚫 Training through high pain levels

🚫 Focusing on intensity instead of control

👉 This often makes symptoms worse.

🎯 What actually works

Start with low-load, high-control exercises:

✔️ Bird Dog
✔️ Dead Bug
✔️ Side Plank (modified if needed)
✔️ Breathing + core activation drills

👉 Focus on:

💡 Neutral spine is a myth
✅️ Slow, controlled movement (tempo is the key)
💡- Pain ≤ 2–3/10
📈 Progression is key

Core training should be:

➡️ Gradual
➡️ Structured
➡️ Matched to your symptom 🚨Not rushed.🚨

🔬 What does the research say?

A systematic review in Spine Journal showed that motor control exercises significantly reduce pain and disability in chronic low back pain, including nerve-related symptoms.

Research in Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy highlights that improving trunk muscle coordination reduces spinal load and improves function.

💡 Takeaway

Core exercises don’t “fix” sciatica overnight.
But done properly, they:

👉 Reduce pain
👉 Improve function
👉 Build long-term resilience

🚀 Need a structured plan?

No guesswork. No random exercises.
Start your recovery today:

🔗 https://dublinsportsinjuryclinic.setmore.com/⁠�

05/04/2026

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Recovery — Without Surgery 💪

Sarath has been working with me online for the past 5 months, and this video shows part of his recovery journey after being diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis.

At the initial consultation, Sarath struggled with sitting and walking due to severe pain. Like many patients with spinal stenosis, even simple daily activities had become extremely difficult.

Through a structured rehabilitation plan, gradual loading, and consistent daily routines, Sarath was able to regain function and significantly improve his symptoms.

In this video, Sarath explains what helped him most during his recovery and how a progressive rehabilitation approach helped him return to normal activities.

⚠️ At our clinic we do NOT promote quick fixes or “magic exercises.”

Spinal conditions such as lumbar spinal stenosis require time, consistency, and progressive rehabilitation.

Recovery is built through:

✔️ Structured mobility work
✔️ Progressive strength training
✔️ Load management
✔️ Gradual return to daily activities

There is no single exercise that fixes spinal stenosis overnight, but the body can adapt remarkably well when rehabilitation is properly guided and progressed over time.

If you’re struggling with spinal stenosis, sciatica, or disc-related back pain, a personalised rehabilitation plan may help you rebuild strength and function safely.

Book your online consultation here:

https://dublinsportsinjuryclinic.setmore.com⁠�

04/04/2026

⚠️ BACK PAIN FLARE-UPS

Can you avoid them?

🚨 Short answer: No. 🚨

But you can control flare-ups & recover faster 💡

🧠 Flare-ups ≠ damage

Back pain flare-ups happen due to:

Load spikes 📈

Poor sleep / high stress 😴

Too much sitting 🪑

Doing too much too soon 🚫

👉 A flare-up is a temporary increase in symptoms, not an injury getting worse.

🎯 The goal with flare-ups

💡Less frequent flare-ups

💡Lower pain intensity

💡Faster recovery

More confidence in movement 💪

✅ How to MINIMISE flare-up

1️⃣ Control load

→ Progress gradually (10–20%)
→ Stay consistent

2️⃣ Use pain as a guide

→ 0–2 ✅ safe
→ 3–4 ⚠️ ok (

01/04/2026

01/04/2026

🚨 MOST PEOPLE GET THIS WRONG ABOUT DISC HERNIATION 🚨

🧠 Your lumbar disc is stronger than you think
Swipe 👉 to see real anatomical views of the lumbar spine and discs — a reminder that your spine is robust, adaptable, and built for movement.

💪 WHAT YOUR DISCS ACTUALLY DO

✔️ Absorb shock
✔️ Allow movement & flexibility
✔️ Distribute load evenly
✔️ Protect spinal nerves

👉 These are high-performance structures, not fragile tissues.

🔬 HOW STRONG ARE THEY?

Lumbar discs can compressive loads up to ~300 kg (660 lbs)

The annulus fibrosus = layered collagen (like reinforced tyres)

Built to resist compression, torsion, and shear forces

🛑 Discs don’t just “pop out” like jam from a donut.

💡 SO WHAT REALLY CAUSES A DISC HERNIATION?

👉 It’s usually gradual, not a sudden event:

• Repetitive loading over time
• Reduced tissue capacity
• Poor recovery (sleep, stress)
• Inactivity & deconditioning
• Genetic factors

➡️ Leads to micro-failure of fibres, not a dramatic rupture.

⚠️ MRI ≠ PAIN

📊 Research shows:

👉 30–50% of people in their 30s have disc bulges with NO symptoms

So imaging findings ≠ your pain or your future.

🔥 GOOD NEWS: DISCS CAN RECOVER

Your body can adapt and even reabsorb disc material over time.

➡️ With the right rehab:

✔️ Gradual loading
✔️ Movement exposure
✔️ Strength training
✔️ Nervous system regulation

💪 You can return to full function.

❌ WHAT DOESN’T WORK
❌ Rest only
❌ Fear of movement
❌ Chasing “quick fixes”
❌ Random exercises

✅ WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS

✔️ Structured rehab
✔️ Progressive loading
✔️ Consistency over time

👉 No shortcuts — just evidence-based progression

📩 START YOUR RECOVERY

https://dublinsportsinjuryclinic.setmore.com/⁠�

📚 REFERENCES

Adams MA, Roughley PJ. Spine (2006)

Wilke HJ et al. Spine (1999)

Brinjikji et al. Spine Journal (2015)

Boos et al. Spine (1995)

Zhong et al. Clinical Rehabilitation (2017)

Foster et al. The Lancet (2018)

💬 Tag someone who thinks discs “slip out” 👇

rehab

01/04/2026

L5–S1 DISC EXTRUSION → FULL RECOVERY WITHOUT SURGERY 💥

Back to the gym. Pain free. Strong again. 💪

This is one of my online clients from Canada 🇨🇦 who went from significant pain, nerve symptoms, and limitation…

➡️ to training confidently again within 6 months of structured rehab

WHAT IS A DISC EXTRUSION? 🤔

A lumbar disc extrusion happens when the inner part of the disc pushes through the outer layer and irritates nearby nerves.

This can lead to:

• Lower back pain
• Sciatica ⚡
• Numbness or weakness in the leg

HERE’S WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW 👇

📊 Research shows that up to ~70% of disc extrusions can naturally reabsorb over time

That means your body has the ability to heal —

👉 IF you give it the right environment

WHAT ACTUALLY HELPS RECOVERY? ✅

✔️ Gradual loading of the spine
✔️ Consistent daily rehab (not random exercises)
✔️ Building strength, control & confidence
✔️ Managing flare-ups the right way

🚫 NOT rest alone

🚫 NOT “quick fixes”

🚫 NOT avoiding movement

REALITY CHECK ⚠️

Recovery is NOT instant.

It takes months of structured, progressive rehab.
But if done properly → results like this are possible.

🎥 Watch real recovery stories on my YouTube: Bob The Physio

📅 Book your consultation here:

https://dublinsportsinjuryclinic.setmore.com⁠�

DON’T let your MRI scare you.

Focus on what you can CONTROL 💡

physiotherapy

31/03/2026

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💡 If you’re training, rehabbing, or just trying to stay consistent…

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✔️ Protein
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Consistency beats everything — and having the right tools makes it easier.

⚠️ Don’t wait — these offers won’t last.

👉 Shop here: https://www.prozis.com/1nRnG⁠�

31/03/2026

🚶‍♂️ Walking with Lower Back Pain? It’s NOT just about your back…

Most people think walking is “safe” for lower back pain…

But if your lumbar spine lacks coordination, every step can become repeated stress ⚠️

👉 Walking = thousands of repetitions

👉 Your spine needs control, not stiffness

💡 What’s really going on?

When your core is not functioning properly:

❌ Poor lumbar coordination
❌ Stiff or compensatory movement patterns
❌ Uneven load through the spine
❌ Pain that keeps coming back… even with simple walking

👉 This is why some people walk daily… but never improve.

🧠 The real problem: CORE CONTROL

Your deep core muscles (especially transversus abdominis + multifidus) act as a dynamic stabilising system.

👉 It’s NOT just strength

👉 It’s timing + coordination during movement

If this system is delayed or inefficient → your spine loses control with every step.

🔑 Why Bird Dog is so effective

The Bird Dog exercise directly targets what walking requires:

✅ Trains cross-body coordination (just like walking)
✅ Activates deep stabilisers before limb movement
✅ Builds spinal control without excessive load
✅ Improves movement efficiency

👉 It retrains your body to move with a stable spine + controlled limbs

⚙️ Key cues

✔️ Keep your spine neutral
✔️ Move slow and controlled
✔️ Avoid rotation or shifting
✔️ Think: “control first, then movement”

⚠️ Reality check

🚫 Walking alone is NOT rehab
🚫 Stretching alone won’t fix coordination
🚫 Passive treatments don’t restore control
👉 You need structured, progressive rehab

📚 Evidence

Hodges PW & Richardson CA (1996) – Demonstrated delayed activation of deep core muscles (TrA) in people with low back pain, highlighting impaired motor control.

Smith BE et al. (2014) – Systematic review showing core stabilisation exercises improve pain and function in chronic low back pain.
🚀 Final message

👉 Don’t just “walk through pain”

👉 Fix the coordination your spine is missing

📅 Start your recovery today:

https://dublinsportsinjuryclinic.setmore.com/⁠�

26/03/2026

FOOT DROP RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE ⚠️ (BUT IT TAKES TIME ⏳)

Sareen — my online client from India 🇮🇳 — came to me with:

❌ L4–L5 disc herniation
❌ Severe sciatica
❌ Foot drop (limping, weakness, numbness)

She was advised surgery by 3 neurosurgeons

👉 But chose conservative rehab.

8 MONTHS LATER 👇
✅ Back & sciatic pain → almost gone
✅ Numbness → resolved
✅ Foot drop → 90% improved
✅ Walking → 5,000 steps daily 🚶‍♀️

⚠️ DISC HEALING TAKES TIME

👉 Her disc reabsorption took ~2 YEARS
No quick fixes.

⏳ HOW LONG DOES FOOT DROP TAKE?

✔️ 3–6 months → early improvement
✔️ 6–12 months → functional recovery
✔️ 12–24+ months → nerve recovery

💡 What helped:

✔️ Structured rehab
✔️ Consistency
✔️ Gradual progression
✔️ Patience

🚫 No magic exercises. No shortcuts.

🎥 Watch her story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDKYZUdUK2I&t=705s⁠�

📅 Book your consultation:

https://booking.setmore.com/scheduleappointment/24161d99-d14a-4e52-aa37-336c6d4d4150/bookappointment⁠�

Start your recovery today 💪

rehab physio bobthephysio