Movement is one of the best ways to beat sciatica and prevent this condition from coming back over the short term and the long term. The stretch exercises which you will discover here are designed to help you with mobilizing the sciatic nerve, improving your flexibility, relaxing your muscles and reducing your pain. They are recommended to patients as part of their treatment if the pain which they experience is not debilitating. If you have concerns about doing stretch exercises, you should talk with your doctor first.
What kind of gear do you need to do the sciatica exercises presented here? You should use an exercise mat. For doing the ones which involve lying on your back, you may get some kind of head and neck support, if needed.
Knee to Chest Stretch
Lie down and bend your knees so that you rest your feet on the ground. Your feet should be slightly apart, at a distance which is equal to that between your shoulders. Bend your right knee towards your chest and hold it down with your hands. Press down as much as you are comfortable with. Hold this position for half a minute and return your knee to starting position. Then do the same with your left knee. Each set consists of three reps. You can start off with one set and add more as you grow more comfortable with this sciatica exercise.
Sitting Spinal Stretch
This sciatica exercise is designed to relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve. To do it, sit down on your floor and keep your legs and your back straight. Take your right leg and move it gently to the left bending your knee so that your right foot can rest on the floor next to your left knee. Then turn your body to the right moving your left elbow slowly so that it goes outside of your right knee. You should hold this position for half a minute. You can place your hands on the floor for extra support. Repeat the same steps to the left. You should do three reps of this exercise in one set.
Back Extension
Lie down on your stomach and bend your elbows so that your forearms can support your upper body. Then lift your torso arching your back and pushing down on your hands. Hold this position for 10 seconds and go back to the initial one gently. For this sciatica exercise, there are ten reps in a set.