15 Simple Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief – Suffering from sciatica pain? Finding the right exercises can help alleviate your back and leg pain, reduce inflammation, and improve your mobility. Find out which exercises are best for sciatica below, along with tips on how to do them correctly for lasting results.
1. Start in a seated position with your legs extended straight in front of you and your back against a wall.
2. Place a pillow behind your head for support and bring your knees up to your chest.
3. Wrap your arms around your knees and slowly rock back and forth, massaging your lower back as you do so.
4. Repeat this motion until you feel the tension in your lower back begin to release.
5. Next, lie down on your back on a firm surface with a pillow under your head and both legs extended straight out in front of you.
6. Bend one knee up towards your chest, keeping the other leg straight, and hug that knee into your chest with both hands for support.
7. Hold this position for 30 seconds before repeating it on the other side. 8 Ė Now itâs time to stretch out those hamstrings! Lie down on one side of your body with both legs extended straight out (resting on an elbow is fine).
Use a belt or towel around the ankle of the top leg to help keep it from hyperextending while you stretch the hamstring of the bottom leg by bringing that heel towards your buttock area (you should feel a mild stretch down the back of the thigh). Hold this position for 15-30 seconds before repeating on the other side 9 Ė For another hamstring stretch, sit up tall with one leg extended straight out in front of you and place both hands around the back of that thigh just below the knee cap 10 Slowly lean forward over the leg being stretched until you feel milds trench down back of the thigh 11 Youcan also try this stretch with both legs bent and feet flat on the floor in front to you if itâs easy 12 This time we can work those glutes!
If you’re one of the millions of people who suffer from sciatica, you know just how debilitating and frustrating it can be. Sciatica is a common condition that occurs when the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back to your feet, becomes compressed or irritated. This can cause pain, numbness, and tingling in your lower back, legs, and buttocks.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for sciatica pain relief, but there are some simple exercises that can help ease your symptoms.
Here are 15 exercises to try:
1. Hamstring stretches
Stretching your hamstrings can help relieve tension on the sciatic nerve. Try lying on your back with both legs stretched out in front of you. Slowly raise one leg up towards your chest and hold for 30 seconds before lowering it back down. Repeat with the other leg.
2. Piriformis stretches
The piriformis muscle is located in the buttocks and can sometimes become tight and irritate the sciatic nerve. To stretch this muscle, lie on your back with both knees bent and place a hand behind each knee. Gently pull each knee towards your opposite shoulder until you feel a stretch in the buttocks area. Hold for 30 seconds before releasing. Repeat 2-3 times per side.