sciatic nerve causing trouble

Since I've started weight strength training on my Total Gym my sciatic nerve has been driving me nuts. I got motivated and upped the weight a level. The next day I could hardly walk. So this week I'm trying less weight and more reps. Today it flared up again. I'm getting so frustrated. Any ideas how to strength train without making things worse?

It would help to know what kind of strength training you are doing to aggravate your sciatic nerve. Do you know for sure that it is indeed your sciatic nerve causing pain. It could be piriformis syndrome too, which causes sciatic like pain. Do a Google search for sciatic and or piriformis stretches which can help you. I suffered a bad spinal injury a few years back and was left with a lesion on my sciaitc nerve which scarred over and leaves me with chronic pain. I know your suffering.

Just based on your OP I would recommend you take it slow and easy and not try to progress too fast. But first, if you have not done so, I would recommend you see a doctor and confirm what is causing your pain. If you have a badly blown out disk placing pressure on the nerve, you can make it worse by continuing actions which aggravate it. Blown out disks and sciatic pain are not the end of the world, but they can sure feel like it. Something which has helped my pain immensely is walking, and a lot of it. Combined with piriformis stretches.

OP, if you're suffering from a literal pain in the @ss.... I suggest the stretch shown in this video. It does wonders for my sciatica issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qZ517Rw7ME

I've been heavy lifting since February and while my back pain overall has diminished remarkably, tight butt muscles can really flare my sciatica through the piriformis muscle. Also, get a lacrosse ball, pin it to the wall with your butt and roll it around to work out those muscles when they get too tight. It looks *really* awkward, but it feels magical.