If you ever have felt a shooting pain through your lower back and leg, it's possible you already have experienced a form of sciatica, which causes pain and numbness in that region and is caused by a pinching of the sciatic nerve. This nerve originates at the lower lumbar spine and runs along the backside of the leg. The pinching is often caused by muscle tightness, muscle imbalances and spinal conditions such as disc herniation that put excessive pressure on the sciatic nerve. Fortunately, sciatica can be treated with regular exercise and stretching.
Back Extensions
Back extension exercises are ideal if you have sciatica due to a herniated disc. They strengthen the erector spinae muscles, as well as the glutes and hamstrings. Strengthening the erector spinae muscles stabilizes the spine and reduces the effects of a herniated disc. To perform this exercise, lie face down with hands at your sides or behind your back and slowly lift your chest from the ground, holding for three to five seconds. To add variety, you can hold the exercise for as long as possible or perform it for a number of repetitions. You can also change the surface you lie on and use a BOSU ball or Swiss ball to add instability.
Bird Dog Exercise
The bird dog exercise is great for sciatica because, similar to back extensions, this exercise strengthens the erector spinae muscles, helping to align your spine in the anatomically correct position and reducing pressure on the sciatic nerve. Bird dogs also improve your core and balance, and strengthen the entire backside of your body, from your posterior deltoids to your hamstrings. Starting in a quadruped position, on your knees and hands, extend one arm to the front and the opposite leg to the back, then hold. To increase the difficulty, extend your limbs to the side.
Lower Back and Hip Stretch
Keeping the muscles in the lower back and hips flexible is imperative for treating sciatica. Maintaining flexibility will allow you to obtain a full range of motion without pinching the sciatic nerve. The lying cross-over stretch begins with you lying face up on the ground, arms extended to the side and legs straight. Then bend one leg 90 degrees and cross it over the straight leg, trying to touch the ground with your knee. To deepen the stretch, turn your head in the opposite direction.
Piriformis and Hip Flexor Stretch
This is a quality stretch because it can treat sciatica in two ways. First, it stretches the piriformis muscle, which, according to SciaticaRx, can pinch the sciatic nerve when tight. The other way it helps sciatica is that while it stretches out the piriformis in one leg, it stretches the hip flexor of the other leg. When tight, the hip flexors can cause an unnatural tilt in the pelvis that leads to misalignment in the spine, which can ultimately lead to sciatica. To perform this stretch, start in the quadruped position on your hands and knees, then bring one leg under your chest and cross it in front of the other. Slide the back leg as far back as possible until you feel a stretch in the buttocks -- effectively stretching the piriformis -- and a stretch in the hip flexors of your other leg.
