When dealing with low back pain, especially if leg pain/nerve pain is involved, there are some generally accepted principles that should be considered and followed
It is never good to increase symptoms into the leg, especially if it is from a pinched nerve
Certain movements typically increase pain, while others are less likely to cause pain
Some people feel better to sit, bend forward, tense their abdominals, pull their knees to their chest
They are considered to have a flexion preference and those movements may be the initial focus
Some people feel worse with some of the above movements, feel better to lean back stand and walk compared to sit, have increased pain with cough/valsalva.
Those individuals are said to have more of extension based preference
Sometimes neither feel great and you have to try lateral movements
Sometimes moving into any direction too far doesn’t feel great but you may be able to tolerate certain movements if you only go through 50% of the motion. If the symptoms are highly irritable and agitated, any movement done too aggressively may hurt and you may have to focus on light movement short of pain which can allow the symptoms to improve. You then can monitor if the amount of movement your body tolerates is getting better.
THE INITIAL KEY IS TRYING TO FIND 1-2 MOVEMENTS THAT:
Do not increase leg pain
Make you feel better or at least are completed with no worsening of symptoms
Try the list of movements below, if any cause pain don’t go that far or skip that movement
