The sciatic nerve is the largest in your body, running from your lower back down your leg. When this nerve become compressed, most frequently because of a herniated disc or narrowing in the spinal canal, you may experience pain, tingling and numbness in the lower back, hamstring muscles and the piriformis muscle in the back of the leg, near the buttocks. This can make your muscles feel tightened and painful. To alleviate this pain, you can engage in stretching and other exercises to reduce stiffness and strengthen your muscles.
Considerations
Sciatic nerve pain can be debilitating, making most movements seem difficult, if not impossible, when you experience a sciatic nerve flare-up. While resting for one to two days following a sciatic nerve flare-up is a good idea, becoming sedentary is not beneficial for your sciatic pain. This is because failure to exercise can cause the muscles in the back to deteriorate, meaning they cannot support your back as well as they should. Failing to exercise also can reduce your spinal fluid flow, which can degenerate your spinal discs, leading to further pain. Exercise to reduce sciatic nerve pain should include strengthening for the back and abdominal muscles and stretching to relieve hamstring muscle tightness. Check with your physician before beginning an exercise program. This ensures you can make a full recovery.
Low-Impact Aerobics
Cardiovascular exercise helps to bring circulation to your legs, back and spine. Exercises such as swimming, riding a bicycle and walking can strengthen the back and abdominal muscles without placing too much strain on your body. High-impact exercises such as running, step aerobics or playing a contact sport like football or basketball can place too much strain on your sciatic nerve and the joints in your back. Aim for at least 30 minutes of low-impact exercise most days of the week. If 30 minutes of continuous exercise is too painful for you, break up your exercise sessions into 10- or 15-minute intervals.
Spinal Stabilization Exercises
These exercises are designed to strengthen the stabilizer muscles of the lower back and abdomen. Examples include lying on your stomach and using your lower back muscles to lift your chest off the ground. Curl downs, which can be performed while you are seated with your feet flat on the floor, can help you strengthen your back and abdomen. Cross your arms over your chest and lower your torso slightly back toward the ground, but do not touch the ground. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your torso up and return your body to your starting position. Repeat five times.
Stretching Exercises
Exercises to stretch the lower back, hamstring and abdominal muscles can help to relieve sciatic nerve pain. To stretch the hamstrings, lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Straighten your right leg and grasp your leg with your hands to pull it toward your chest. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds. Release this leg and repeat to stretch the opposite side. Stretch the quadriceps muscles in the front of your leg by lying on your stomach and pull one foot in toward your buttocks, grasping the foot with your hand. Hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds, then release the stretch and repeat on the opposite leg.
