Stretching Exercise for Sciatica

Sciatica itself is not an injury or disease. Instead, sciatica refers to a symptom of any number of problems. When we suffer from sciatica we experience pain running from buttocks down to the legs.  It is not necessary that the pain originates in the back but may be caused by injury to the pelvis or hip, or from direct pressure to sciatica nerve by piriformis muscle or other means. Pain can be mild to severe and we might have problem standing, sitting, sleeping or ever walking. Some sort of exercises would minimize the pain.  Yoga and some stretching exercises are found to be best for this sort of pain.  Anecdotally, most people with sciatica do find stretching helps relieve pain. However, people with sciatica should speak to a doctor before doing any sciatica stretches to avoid further injury.

Some stretching exercises for sciatica would be:

• knees to chest
• cobra or modified cobra
• seated hip stretch
• standing hamstring stretch
• seated spinal twist
• knee to shoulder

Knees to chest

1. Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and soles of the feet on the floor.
2. Slowly bring your knees into the chest.
3. Hold for half a minute before releasing the stretch.  Repeat the stretch up to three times.

Cobra or modified cobra

1. Lie on your stomach, legs extended and together, elbows bent with palms resting on the floor by the chest.
2. Push through the palms and partially straighten the elbows to lift the chest off the floor to about 45 degrees.
3. Fully straighten the elbows, lifting the chest further off the floor. Hold for 5 seconds at the top and return to the starting position. Continue above procedure for 10 folds.

Seated hip stretch

1. Sit in a chair with your feet on the floor and knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Raise the affected leg up and cross that ankle over the opposite knee.
3. Bend forward gently over the crossed leg, breathing deeply and holding for 15 to 30 seconds before releasing.  Repeat this for 3 times.

Standing hamstring stretch

1. Start by standing tall with feet together.
2. Lift the affected leg (only one side is affected in sciatica) straight out in front of you and rest the heel on a ledge or table that is just under hip width high.
3. Keeping the knee straight but soft, bend forward at the waist, keeping the spine straight until you feel a stretch in the back of the leg.
4. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds before releasing.
5. Return to the starting position.  Repeat on the other side.

Seated spinal twist

1. Sit up tall on the floor with legs together, straight out in front.
2. Bend one leg at the knee and place the foot on the floor on the outside of the opposite knee.
3. Twist towards the bent knee, placing the opposite elbow on the outside of the bent knee to get a deeper stretch.
4. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.
5. Return to the starting position.
6. Repeat on the opposite side.

Knee to shoulder

1. Lie flat on the floor with your legs extended straight out.
2. Bend one knee and bring that knee across the body to the opposite shoulder without lifting your hips from the floor.
3. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds before releasing.
4. Repeat on the other side.

If any of these exercises make the sciatica worse, stop immediately. It is normal to feel stretching during these movements, however it is not normal for the sciatic pain to increase.

Treatment

• Ice: Icing the area for 20 minutes several times a day for the first two to three days after the pain begins.
• Heat: Using heat on the area after the first few days.
• Anti-inflammatories: Taking anti-inflammatory medications to ease the pain. Ibuprofen is available for purchase over-the-counter.

Anyone that experiences sciatica for longer than a month should seek medical attention. Additionally, any person that has severe sciatica should seek medical care as soon as possible.

In general, regular exercise and building a strong core may help prevent sciatica. Additionally maintaining a good posture while sitting and standing is important, and may make people less likely to develop sciatica than people with poor posture.

For Videos on stretching exercise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBgKF1dVN4g