The Concept of Centralization
If you have leg numbness and tingling that dissipates when you do a particular movement (flexion or extension), then that movement is where you want to concentrate your efforts.
If the numbness and tingling “moves up” towards the low back; that is, it used to go down all the way to the side of your lower leg or foot but now it ranges down to your buttock, this also counts as dissipation. The term for this is centralization of neurological pain and is considered a positive (good) finding. Even if that movement makes your low back hurt a little more, as long as it centralizes your leg symptoms it still is the preferred movement for your particular condition.
Diminishing neurological symptoms in a leg with certain movement is a sign that the movement you just did changed the shape/position of a soft tissue structure (disc, ligament) in such a way that it is pressing less on a nerve root or spinal cord.
Illustration of “centralization” of pain (worst to better, left to right).
If you don’t have leg numbness and tingling, but notice that a particular movement made your pain less, then obviously that movement is where you want to concentrate your efforts. Again, extension is typically the preferred exercise movement for most cases of low back pain; and much less often, flexion. Alternating flexion and extension moves, however, can be used to pump discs for general maintenance of disc health.
NEXT: What Happens if There’s No Change?
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