The sciatic nerve stretches down from the buttocks through the back of the legs. If you have damage to the sciatic nerve, you may experience symptoms such as pain through the back of the legs, tingling and weakness. If you have sciatic nerve damage, your doctor should recommend meeting with a physical therapist if the pain has not subsided after several weeks. A physical therapist can discuss how to perform exercises without further damaging the area.
Expert Insight
In a 2008 study published in the journal “Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair,” it was found that endurance training may help in sciatic nerve regeneration. It also concluded that resistance training was not helpful at regenerating sciatic nerve tissue. For endurance exercise, start out with a few minutes of moderate cardio exercises, such as jogging and indoor cycling, and build upon that time.
Stretching
Exercises that stretch the muscles in the lower back are helpful for sciatic nerve damage. One example includes hamstring stretches. Lie flat on the floor with your left heel against a wall. Lift your right leg into the air until you feel a stretch in the back of the leg. Hold for 10 seconds and switch sides.
Aerobic Exercise
Low-impact aerobics can strengthen the muscles in your lower back to reduce the recurrence of pain from sciatic nerve damage. Participate in some form of aerobic exercise for 30 minutes on most days of the week. Walking and swimming are particularly good forms of exercise that do not put any strain on the back.
Core Moves
Strengthen the core to relieve tightness caused by the sciatic nerve damage. Core exercises focus on the muscle groups in the back and abdominals. Pelvic tilts are an example of a core exercise used for sciatic nerve pain. Start off flat on your back with your knees bent. Squeeze the glutes and abs to tip up slightly. Press the lower back into the floor and hold for five seconds. Release and repeat 10 times.
References
- "The New York Times": Sciatica
- "Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair"; Endurance and Resistance Exercise Training Programs Elicit Specific Effects on Sciatic Nerve Regeneration after Experimental Traumatic Lesion in Rats; J. Ilha et al.; July 2008
- Spine-Health: Sciatica Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief
