6 Stretches for Sciatica Relief
I always thought there wasn’t much I
could do when my sciatica flared up. But now that I've found the
following routine, I know there's an answer. These 6 simple exercises
help relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve, and can be performed from
the comfort of your own bed.
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Sciatica is an
intense and searing pain, sometimes experienced as numbness or tingling,
that can be felt around your lower back and shoots all the way down to
your legs. This routine was developed at the University of Washington’s
Physical Therapy Department, by Jennifer Howe. It’s especially designed
to target herniated discs, bone degeneration and tight hip muscles, all
of which cause sciatica. Even if you don’t know which of the three
factors is causing your pain, try all the stretches and see which one
helps. |
Tight hip muscles |
The following stretches will loosen the muscles in your hips. They might be pressing on your sciatic nerve, causing your pain. |
Knee to opposite shoulder |
Lie on your back with your legs
extended and your feet flexed. Raise your right leg and hold your hands
behind your knee. Pull your right knee gently across your body until it
reaches your left shoulder. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat
once more. Switch to raise your left leg to your right shoulder. Hold
this position twice. |
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The Figure-4 Stretch |
Lie on your back with your knees bent
and place your feet flat on the bed. Cross your right ankle over your
left knee forming a 4-shape, as seen in the photo below. Hold your hands
behind your left knee and gently pull your legs towards your chest
while pressing the right knee away from your chest. Hold this position
for 30 seconds and repeat it another 3 times. Switch legs and repeat the
exercise 4 times. |
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Stretches for bone degeneration |
Create spaces between your vertebrae with these moves. These will help prevent them from pinching your sciatic nerve. |
Knees to chest |
Lie on your back and hug your knees
to your chest, while allowing your lower back to curve. Hug your knees
in this position for 30 seconds. If this stretch eases the pain in your
legs, repeat this position another 3 times. |
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Posterior pelvic tilt |
Lie face up on your bed with your
knees bent and your feet flat, and place your arms behind your head.
Lower yourself until your entire lower back touches the bed, as you see
in the photo. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then return to the
start position. Repeat this exercise 10 times. |
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Herniated disc |
These two press-up stretches can help
create distance between the bulging discs in your spine. This relieves
the pressure on the sciatic nerve. |
Press-up |
Lie on your stomach and position your
elbows directly under your shoulders, placing your forearms flat on the
bed parallel to each other. Lift your chest and stretch your spine from
the tailbone to the top of your neck, slightly arching
your back. Hold this position for 30 seconds while breathing deeply. If
the pain in your leg subsides, repeat this exercise two more times. If
you don’t feel any relief, skip the press-up extension (the next and
last exercise). |
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Press-up extension |
Once again, lie face down with your
hands flat next to your shoulders. Press your palms into the bed while
lifting your upper body, making sure to keep your hips and pelvis on the
bed. Stretch your spine from your tailbone to your neck while
slightly arching your back. If you feel pressure on your lower back,
stop lifting your chest. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then
slowly lower yourself back to the start position. Repeat this exercise
10 times, making a set. Do 3 sets of this exercise in total. |
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H/T: www.prevention.com