Is bed rest for 7 days good for sciatica pain? or is it better to exercise lightly?

Exercise if you can.: if you are able to stay active then to try to do so. Sometimes, however, the pain is too severe, and rest can help.

Stay active: Repetitive studies have revealed the fallacy of using bed rest to treat sciatica. Exercise, physical therapy, even chiropractic interventions, have proven far more successful than stopping activity.

Exercise is the best: It used be thought that bed rest was good for back pain, this really isn't the case anymore. Gentle range of motion exercises can dramatically decrease low back pain. Sciatic nerve pain can be from a disc problem, tight low back/pelvic muscles or a combination. Most people respond to exercise in a gentle, gradual process as the acute pain settles down.

Stay active: Our bodies are meant to move. Staying as active as you can without aggravating your symptoms is important for recovery. Physical therapy helps many people with sciatica, and will help you learn safer ways to use your body to prevent relapse of symptoms.