Exercises for Sciatica: The Top 5 (and 3 Sciatica Exercises to Avoid)
Exercises for Sciatica: The Top 5 (and 3 Sciatica Exercises to Avoid)
Downward Facing Dog Exercise for Sciatica
Is this popular yoga exercise a good sciatica exercise? Or will it leave you in more pain?
The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest single nerve in your body, running from your lower spine down each leg and ending in each foot.
Sciatica refers to the pain, numbness and other symptoms caused by compression or inflammation of this important nerve.
4 Things CAUSE Sciatica <– click here to listen to our audio learning seminar!
Sciatica exercises are designed to specifically target the areas surrounding the sciatic nerve, to both stretch and strengthen key muscles affecting your pain.
Exercises like these will not only reduce your pain quickly, they may prevent the need for drastic measures like surgery in the future.
Here are the top five most effective stretches to relieve your sciatica pain, and three you should avoid to keep from inflaming your sciatica further.
The Five Best Sciatica Stretches – Try Them All!
These simple but effective sciatica stretches are indicated for relaxing the lower back, pelvic floor, buttocks and legs. They also work to help you strengthen these key areas for reducing or preventing sciatica pain by allowing the spine to return to its natural, functional alignment.
For best results, repeat these several times a day until your pain subsides.
Before you begin, lay flat on your back with your arms at your sides and legs outstretched. Allow your body to relax and clear your mind in preparation for these pain-relieving stretches.
Remember: listen to your body. If anything hurts, stop or reduce the intensity immediately.
1. The Complete Back Stretch
While you’re lying on your back, perform this stretch. It will relax your entire back and is very effective at alleviating sciatica pain.
How to Do It:
Bring both your knees to your chest
Wrap your arms around your legs, at the knees, and relax your lower back
Do not try to “crack” your spine–this is purely for relaxing your back
2. Lower Back Stretch
This exercise stretches and relaxes your lower and middle back specifically. Remember to be gentle while stretching your back.
How to Do It:
From your flat back position, bend one knee to a 90 degree angle while keeping your foot on the floor
Allow your knee to “fall” gently to the opposite side of your body, letting your hips twist
Rest your foot on the floor for support and try to keep your back and hips flat on the floor
Repeat on both sides for 10-20 seconds
3. Pretzel Stretch
This stretch is excellent for releasing tension in your buttocks and pelvic floor.
How to Do It:
From your flat back, bend both knees while keeping your feet on the floor
Bring the right ankle atop the left knee
Pull your left thigh back toward your body slowly
4. Single Leg Stretch & Lift
A common exercise in Pilates practices, the single leg stretch and lift will strengthen your core and hip flexors while stretching the buttocks and hips.
How to Do It:
From your flat back, lift one leg to a 90 degree angle, supporting your thigh with both hands
Keep your foot parallel with the floor
Then, lift your other leg a few inches off the ground, your foot at 90 degrees
Repeat the lift 12 to 15 times, then switch
5. Modified Quadricep Stretch
This stretch is great for relaxing your hips and quads.
How to Do It:
Flip gently over to your stomach and lay flat.
Lift one leg up behind you, bend your knee, and grip your foot or ankle with the hand on the same side (i.e. right foot, right hand)
Pull your foot as close to your body as possible, but don’t pull too hard. Go for a relaxing stretch, not an intense burn.
Three Exercises to Avoid With Sciatica
When sciatica pain is at its worst these stretches may seem like common sense, instinctual exercises to do… but they can actually make your pain worse.
1. Downward-Facing Dog
This popular “fix all, relax all” yoga pose may feel good after a long vinyasa, but not if your sciatica is currently acting up. Downward-Facing Dog not only stretches the hamstrings, but your calves and tendons down to your heel
Downward-Facing Dog and yoga are recommended for maintaining your condition, but only after acute sciatic pain has subsided.
2. Hamstring Stretch
Whether you’re standing and leaning forward, in a runner’s stretch, or leaning over both feet, this one stretch can aggravate the entire length of your sciatic nerve, from the lower back to the heel.
3. Leg Circles
A common exercise in Pilates and martial arts, swinging your leg in a full circle will stretch the hamstring suddenly, possibly causing severe pain down your sciatic nerve.
Besides these three, as a general rule you should avoid high impact, jarring exercises or sports until you have corrected the condition causing your sciatica pain.
More Sciatica Exercises to End the Pain for Good – Fully Illustrated!
The stretches and exercises recommended above should help relieve much of your sciatica pain. But it’s just the beginning.
For complete and lasting sciatica relief you need to address the underlying structural issues and other causes behind your sciatic pain. That’s where the Lose the Back Pain® System comes in.
Starting with a complete self-diagnostic, you’ll know in minutes exactly which stretches and targeted exercises you need to fully relieve not only sciatica, but virtually any kind of back pain or neck pain.
Every exercise is clearly explained and illustrated with step-by-step color photographs. It’s simply the easiest – and most effective – way to finally get lasting relief from sciatica pain.
Lose the Back Pain System
Exercises for Sciatica: The Top 5 (and 3 Sciatica Exercises to Avoid)
Downward Facing Dog Exercise for Sciatica
Is this popular yoga exercise a good sciatica exercise? Or will it leave you in more pain?
The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest single nerve in your body, running from your lower spine down each leg and ending in each foot.
Sciatica refers to the pain, numbness and other symptoms caused by compression or inflammation of this important nerve.
4 Things CAUSE Sciatica <– click here to listen to our audio learning seminar!
Sciatica exercises are designed to specifically target the areas surrounding the sciatic nerve, to both stretch and strengthen key muscles affecting your pain.
Exercises like these will not only reduce your pain quickly, they may prevent the need for drastic measures like surgery in the future.
Here are the top five most effective stretches to relieve your sciatica pain, and three you should avoid to keep from inflaming your sciatica further.
The Five Best Sciatica Stretches – Try Them All!
These simple but effective sciatica stretches are indicated for relaxing the lower back, pelvic floor, buttocks and legs. They also work to help you strengthen these key areas for reducing or preventing sciatica pain by allowing the spine to return to its natural, functional alignment.
For best results, repeat these several times a day until your pain subsides.
Before you begin, lay flat on your back with your arms at your sides and legs outstretched. Allow your body to relax and clear your mind in preparation for these pain-relieving stretches.
Remember: listen to your body. If anything hurts, stop or reduce the intensity immediately.
1. The Complete Back Stretch
While you’re lying on your back, perform this stretch. It will relax your entire back and is very effective at alleviating sciatica pain.
How to Do It:
Bring both your knees to your chest
Wrap your arms around your legs, at the knees, and relax your lower back
Do not try to “crack” your spine–this is purely for relaxing your back
2. Lower Back Stretch
This exercise stretches and relaxes your lower and middle back specifically. Remember to be gentle while stretching your back.
How to Do It:
From your flat back position, bend one knee to a 90 degree angle while keeping your foot on the floor
Allow your knee to “fall” gently to the opposite side of your body, letting your hips twist
Rest your foot on the floor for support and try to keep your back and hips flat on the floor
Repeat on both sides for 10-20 seconds
3. Pretzel Stretch
This stretch is excellent for releasing tension in your buttocks and pelvic floor.
How to Do It:
From your flat back, bend both knees while keeping your feet on the floor
Bring the right ankle atop the left knee
Pull your left thigh back toward your body slowly
4. Single Leg Stretch & Lift
A common exercise in Pilates practices, the single leg stretch and lift will strengthen your core and hip flexors while stretching the buttocks and hips.
How to Do It:
From your flat back, lift one leg to a 90 degree angle, supporting your thigh with both hands
Keep your foot parallel with the floor
Then, lift your other leg a few inches off the ground, your foot at 90 degrees
Repeat the lift 12 to 15 times, then switch
5. Modified Quadricep Stretch
This stretch is great for relaxing your hips and quads.
How to Do It:
Flip gently over to your stomach and lay flat.
Lift one leg up behind you, bend your knee, and grip your foot or ankle with the hand on the same side (i.e. right foot, right hand)
Pull your foot as close to your body as possible, but don’t pull too hard. Go for a relaxing stretch, not an intense burn.
Three Exercises to Avoid With Sciatica
When sciatica pain is at its worst these stretches may seem like common sense, instinctual exercises to do… but they can actually make your pain worse.
1. Downward-Facing Dog
This popular “fix all, relax all” yoga pose may feel good after a long vinyasa, but not if your sciatica is currently acting up. Downward-Facing Dog not only stretches the hamstrings, but your calves and tendons down to your heel
Downward-Facing Dog and yoga are recommended for maintaining your condition, but only after acute sciatic pain has subsided.
2. Hamstring Stretch
Whether you’re standing and leaning forward, in a runner’s stretch, or leaning over both feet, this one stretch can aggravate the entire length of your sciatic nerve, from the lower back to the heel.
3. Leg Circles
A common exercise in Pilates and martial arts, swinging your leg in a full circle will stretch the hamstring suddenly, possibly causing severe pain down your sciatic nerve.
Besides these three, as a general rule you should avoid high impact, jarring exercises or sports until you have corrected the condition causing your sciatica pain.
More Sciatica Exercises to End the Pain for Good – Fully Illustrated!
The stretches and exercises recommended above should help relieve much of your sciatica pain. But it’s just the beginning.
For complete and lasting sciatica relief you need to address the underlying structural issues and other causes behind your sciatic pain. That’s where the Lose the Back Pain® System comes in.
Starting with a complete self-diagnostic, you’ll know in minutes exactly which stretches and targeted exercises you need to fully relieve not only sciatica, but virtually any kind of back pain or neck pain.
Every exercise is clearly explained and illustrated with step-by-step color photographs. It’s simply the easiest – and most effective – way to finally get lasting relief from sciatica pain.
Lose the Back Pain System
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