The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the human body, allowing plenty of opportunities for compression and irritation, leading to pain. Sciatica is a symptom of several conditions that cause you to feel pain along the sciatic nerve, but not all pain involving the sciatic nerve is sciatica. Stretching loosens tight muscles around the sciatic nerve in the lower back and hips and down the legs. Maintain stretches for at least 30 seconds.
Piriformis Stretches
Tight piriformis muscles are often the main cause of sciatic pain. The piriformis muscle irritates the sciatic nerve, causing pain related to piriformis syndrome, which is not technically sciatica. A simple way to stretch the piriformis muscle of the hip is to lie on your back and pull your ankle toward your opposite shoulder. Do this by starting with your legs straight and then bending your affected leg up toward your chest. Grab the ankle with your opposite hand and your knee with your same-side hand. Rotate your hip so the knee points outward and pull the ankle toward the opposite shoulder. Also, gently pull the knee toward your chest too.
Hamstring Stretches
Hamstring stretches relieve sciatic nerve pain by lessening the stress on the lower back that tight hamstrings cause. Most conditions that result in sciatica benefit from hamstring stretching. The seated single-leg hamstring stretch lets you target the tight side on which you feel sciatic pain. To perform this exercise, sit on the floor with your legs spread wide apart. Straighten your legs and push the back of your knees into the floor. Then, twist your shoulders toward the leg on the painful side and reach for your toes.
Yoga
Certain yoga poses are therapeutic for sciatica. Fire log pose is particularly helpful for relieving sciatic nerve pain because it stretches the outer hips and piriformis. To perform this exercise, sit on the edge of a thick blanket folded on the floor. Sit cross legged with your affected leg stacked on top of your other leg. Your top leg is parallel to the floor with the outer edge on top of your opposite inner thigh. The outer edge of your bottom foot is on the floor. The soles of both feet are perpendicular to the floor. Sit up tall, using your arms to help support your posture.
Pilates
Pilates exercises may reduce sciatic nerve pain by strengthening the legs and core muscles that support the pelvis and lower back. Pilates for sciatica also include stretching exercises such as the single-leg stretch. The single-leg stretch lengthens the lower back and the thighs. It also strengthens the abs. To perform this exercise, lie on your back with your right knee pulled into your chest. Hold your left leg off the floor and bent at a 45-degree angle. Lift your head and shoulders toward your knees. Then, extend your right leg straight toward the ceiling before slowly switching legs. Alternate sides.
References
- Spine-Health; Exercise for Sciatic Pain From Piriformis Syndrome; Ron S. Miller, PT; December 2000
- Spine-Health; Sciatica Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief; Ron S. Miller, PT; December 2000
- "Yoga Journal": Poses: Therapeutic Focus: Sciatica
- Pilates-Back-Joint-Exercise.com; The Best Sciatic Nerve Exercises; Jennifer Adolfs
- "Yoga Journal": Fire Log Pose: Agnistambhasana
- ExRx.net: Seated Single Leg Hamstring Stretch
