When thinking about sciatic nerve pain, you might associate it with athletes or women who are pregnant. This is a health issue, however, that can affect up to 40% of the population. While height and weight are contributing factors, sometimes sitting for long days at the office, or being more active than usual while forgetting to stretch can cause an uptick in symptoms.
If you suffer regularly from this and need some help, adding a sciatic nerve stretch to your daily wake-up or nighttime routines could help relieve sciatica pain.
Continue reading for what might be causing your sciatica pain and some basic sciatic nerve pain stretches that can assist in putting the spring back into your step.
Understanding the Area
As you deal with sciatic pain, you are not only targeting one muscle group. Sciatica is often the result of lower back, hip, and/or knee issues. A herniated disk in the spine, a bone spur, or narrowing of the spine begins to compress on the nerve and can cause inflammation.
These spinal problems can cause you to sleep, sit and walk differently, thus spreading the pain and inflammation between areas. When you add stretches to your routine, you will want to focus on the areas around the glutes where you might be feeling discomfort. Always check with your doctor before beginning a new routine.
Sciatic Nerve Stretch: Lower Back
One of the most common lower back sciatic nerve exercises is the knee-to-chest exercise.
Begin by lying on your back with your feet on the floor and your knees bent. Slowly bring one knee up towards your chest and clasp the knee, holding the stretch.
After 30 seconds, release the stretch and repeat on the other side. You should perform 4-5 repetitions per side.
Quadricep
The quadricep stretch helps correct pelvic tilting, which can cause sciatic pain.
It can be done standing or laying down on your side. If you struggle with balance, start laying down. You should always have a wall or chair in reaching distance if you are standing for safety.
Grasp your right foot with your right hand and pull it up towards your butt, stopping before you feel pain. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds before switching sides.
Glutes
A glute bridge is a great way to relieve pressure off your sciatic nerve. Lay on your back with your knees bent and heels pressed into the floor. Press down as you lift up your hips.
Your body should form a straight line from knees to shoulders. Hold for a few seconds and then slowly lower the hips back down.
Yoga for Sciatica
Gentle yoga is good for all-around muscle health and could be a good way of bringing weekly stretching to your body in a controlled environment. Yoga classes often use stretch bands, blankets, and blocks to assist in getting deeper and safe stretches.
If stretching, exercising more, and keeping movement in the affected area doesn’t seem to be working, you should consult a doctor. You may need to see a sciatic nerve pain treatment specialist for some more intense care.
Stick To it Daily
A simple sciatic nerve stretch can go a long way in relieving the daily symptoms of sciatica. Adding one or two of these sciatica exercises to your routine each day will see you pain-free in no time.
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