Top 10 Stretches for Sciatica
Patients dealing with sciatica understand just how frustrating and painful it can be. More of a nagging pain than anything, sciatica can be enough to hold you back from a simple game of basketball, your normal workout regimen, or even some of your daily, run-of-the-mill activities.
Fortunately, sciatica is one of the more treatable orthopedic ailments out there, and often does not require surgery. By using a simple stretching routine, you may find pain relief is much easier to obtain than you thought.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a nerve-related pain that runs from your lower back, through your hips, and down the back of your leg. Normally, sciatica is a result of compression on the sciatic nerve, which can be pinched or otherwise tweaked in a way that can sometimes lead to a tingling sensation, muscle weakness, and numbness. This usually happens because of a herniated disk or bone spur of some sort on one of your vertebrae. While it can affect both sides of the body, usually only one side is affected as a result.
Symptoms of sciatica include:
- Lingering pain from your buttocks and the back of your leg
- A mild ache to sharp or even excruciating at times
- Pain sitting for extended periods of time
- A sharp “jolt-like” feeling in the affected area when coughing or sneezing
If you’ve been feeling this type of lingering pain for more than a week, chances are you’re dealing with sciatica. And though mild cases of sciatica tend to go away on their own, a trip to the doctor is never a bad idea – especially with any injury that deals with your spinal nerves. To be sure, we recommend visiting your local orthopedic specialist so they can accurately diagnose whatever ailment you’re dealing with and ensure you get the treatment you need.
Regardless of how you approach it, a consistent routine of stretches will help you heal and deal with the pain that sciatica can bring.
Here are 10 of the best sciatica stretches for you to try at home:
1. Kneeling Back Rotation
- For this stretch, get on your knees and place both hands on the ground.
- Slowly rotate the torso as you raise one arm up off the ground and towards the sky.
- Hold this pose for 5 to 10 seconds, or until you reach the peak of your flexibility in this pose.
- Place your hand back on the ground and repeat on the other side.
- Repeat three to four times on each side.
2. Knee-to-Chest Stretch
- Lay on the ground with your legs stretched out
- Take one leg and bend it at the knee, while keeping the other on the floor.
- Using both hands, grasp the area between your shin and knee, keeping your lower back on the floor.
- Pull your knee down towards your chest and in the direction of your opposite shoulder.
- Repeat this with the other leg.
- Repeat two to three times on each side.
3. Reclining Pigeon Pose
- Lay flat on your back and bend your knees.
- Take one leg and cross it over so that your ankle is resting on your thigh, being sure that your back remains flat to the ground.
- Take your hands and grasp underneath the leg you haven’t moved yet.
- Gently pull on the knee so that the leg that is crossed over is being stretched in the gluteal area.
- Pull as far as you can without being in pain, and then reset yourself before repeating these steps on the other side.
- Repeat two to three times on each side.
4. Sitting Pigeon Pose – (a variation of the Reclining Pigeon Pose)
- Sit flat on your buttocks.
- Being sure to sit up straight, take one leg and cross it over so that your ankle is resting on your thigh.
- As you exhale, lean forward towards your legs for about five to ten seconds.
- You should feel the stretch on the same side of your glute as the leg that’s being bent across your thigh.
- Repeat these steps on the other side of your body.
- Repeat two to three times on each side.
5. Forward Pigeon Pose
This stretch is designed to open up your hips and stretch out the area from your glute down the back of your leg.
- Bending over with your knees and hands on the ground, bring your right leg up so that it’s adjacent to your torso, but your knee is resting inside of your right hand.
- Now, take your left knee and lay it as flat as you can on the mat – your foot should be pointing straight back.
- After making sure your hips are square with the mat, lean down towards the floor for a deeper stretch.
- Hold this stretch for five to fifteen seconds, and then pull your left leg up and reset to repeat these steps on the other side.
- Repeat two to three times on each side.
6. Simple Seated Stretch
This stretch requires a chair.
- Sit upright in your chair.
- Take your right leg and cross it over the other with your ankle resting on the thigh of your left leg.
- Using your hands for support, lean over towards your legs and apply pressure to the stretch.
- Hold this for five to fifteen seconds before leaning back and repeating these steps on the other side.
- Repeat two to three times on each side.
7. Lying Outer Hip Stretch
- Lying on your back, keep your legs straight and your torso flat against the mat.
- Take your right leg and bend it at the knee.
- Using your opposite hand to grasp the outer part of your knee, pull your right leg (still bent) over to the left side of your body.
- Once your knee is touching the ground, or as close to the ground as you can get it, hold that stretch for five to 10 seconds before pulling your leg back over to the starting position.
- Repeat two to three times on each side.
8. Sitting Spinal Stretch
This stretch is designed to create space between the spine and the sciatic nerve, which is usually the cause of the pinching or tension on that nerve.
- Sit on your buttocks with your feet straight out and pointed upwards.
- Bend your right knee and place your foot on the outside of your left knee.
- Take your elbow and rest it against the outside of your right knee – this will give you the leverage necessary to apply pressure to this stretch.
- Gently turn your torso in the direction of your right leg and hold for 10 to 20 seconds.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Repeat two to three times on each side.
9. Short Adductor Stretch – (aka the Butterfly Stretch)
- Sit on your buttocks and put the soles of your feet together.
- Reach your right hand over your left ankle and left hand over your right ankle.
- Gently lean over towards the ground and stretch as far as you can for five to fifteen seconds.
- Come back up, rest for 20 to 30 seconds, and repeat as necessary.
10. Hip Extension
- With both your knees and hands on the ground, make sure your hands are aligned with your hips and shoulders.
- Raise one leg straight out, making sure your foot is above the height of your back, and try to point your toes upwards.
- Slowly lower your leg back to the ground and repeat 15 to 20 times.
- Repeat on the other side.
Still Dealing with Pain? Visit an Orthopedic Specialist at Rothman
If you’ve been using these stretches for a week or more with no real pain relief for your sciatica, then it may be time to see a specialist. At Rothman Orthopaedics, our team of doctors and physicians are some of the best in the area at treating those dealing with sports medicine- related injuries. To make an appointment, feel free to follow the link or by calling us at 1-800-321-9999.
