If you are someone who suffers from sciatica then you can try these stretches that I give to patients at The Physiotherapy Place. They are aimed at taking pressure off the sciatic nerve and along with good posture can often be enough to reduce pressure on the lower back, buttocks and hips and give you relief from pain.
Sciatica Exercise 1
Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet together on the floor, keep your shoulders and upper back flat on the floor and gently drop your knees first to one side and then to the other. You should feel the stretch through the lower back and hips but be careful not to stretch into pain. Keep moving side to side for 2 minutes.
Exercise 2
Lying on your back, hug your knees up to your tummy and hold them there with your hands. You should feel a gentle stretch in your lower back. If this is painful then do it with one knee at a time. Repeat 3 times, 30 second holds.
Exercise 3
If recovery from your sciatica still isn't progressing as you hoped it would then it could be because there is stress being placed on the nerve from an adjacent part of the body.
This can commonly happen from having tight hip muscles, in particular the gluteal and piriformis muscles at the back of the hip. I find that these muscles are tight in most people that are suffering from sciatica so will usually always treat these at the same time as treating the nerve itself.
A good way to stretch these muscles is to lie on your back holding the knee and ankle of the affected leg in your hands. Now pull the knee up towards your opposite shoulder until you feel a gentle stretch in the buttock and hold for 30 seconds. It is important that you don't stretch too strongly and if you feel an increase in sciatic pain then do not continue to hold the stretch.
Sciatica - How Often Should I Stretch?
Ideally these stretches should be performed 3-4 times per day whilst your symptoms persist. If you are consistently stretching for 2 weeks and there is no change in your pain then there is likely an underlying issue that needs to be addressed so an assessment and treatment from a physio should be sought. Once your sciatic pain has resolved, these same stretches performed once per day will be beneficial to maintain a healthy spine and prevent recurrence of your symptoms.
If you want to find out more about how we can help you here at The Physiotherapy Place, arrange a time that one of our physiotherapists can give you a call here or book an appointment here.
FREE Physio E-Book - 8 Top Tips for Sciatica
One of the most common issues that we see in the clinic is lower back pain and sciatica. Some who seek help from their GP will be prescribed rest and painkillers, but most of the time this will not solve the problem.
Here, you'll find our top 8 tips on treating your sciatica and ensuring it doesn't return. Even if you’ve suffered for months or years and thought nothing could be done, our tips will help you to settle your sciatica and teach you how to maintain healthy back and hips once and for all.