Share on Pinterest
The sciatic nerve. rumruay/Shutterstock. Photo editing by Monica Pardo

Nosotros include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small committee. Here's our process.

Sciatic nerve pain tin can be and then excruciating and debilitating that you don't even want to get off the burrow. Yous probably know more than than one person with this condition, as it's relatively common with a lifetime incidence of x to twoscore percent.

The sciatic nerve begins at your lower back, your hips, and your buttocks, going down each of your legs and bending at the knees. Sciatic pain happens when in that location'southward a problem anywhere along this pathway.

Common causes of sciatica can include:

  • a ruptured disk
  • narrowing of the spine culvert (chosen spinal stenosis)
  • injury

Sciatic pain tin also happen due to a condition chosen piriformis syndrome. Your piriformis muscle extends from your buttocks at the edge of your spine all the way to the top of your thigh. Sometimes this muscle tin spasm and trap the sciatic nerve, which is located nearby. This can result in sciatic pain.

Certified concrete therapist Mindy Marantz says that sciatica hurting can occur for a diversity of reasons. "Identifying what doesn't motion is the beginning step toward solving the problem," she explains. Often, the virtually problematic body parts are the lower back and hips.

Dr. Mark Kovacs, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, adds that the best way to convalesce most sciatica hurting is to do "whatever stretch that tin can externally rotate the hip to provide some relief."

Here are ten exercises that do but that:

  • reclining pigeon pose
  • sitting pigeon pose
  • forward dove pose
  • knee joint to opposite shoulder
  • sitting spinal stretch
  • continuing hamstring stretch
  • basic seated stretch
  • standing piriformis stretch
  • groin and long abductor muscle stretch
  • scissor hamstring stretch

Share on Pinterest
The reclining pigeon pose is ane of several pigeon stretches that can assistance stretch the piriformis muscle.
fizkes/Getty Images

The reclining pigeon pose is a common yoga pose. It works to open up the hips. At that place are multiple versions of this stretch. The first is a starting version known every bit the reclining pigeon pose. If you're just starting your treatment, yous should try the reclining pose commencement.

  1. While on your back, bring your right leg upwardly to a right angle. Clasp both easily behind the thigh, locking your fingers.
  2. Elevator your left leg and place your correct ankle on summit of the left articulatio genus.
  3. Hold the position for a moment. This helps stretch the piriformis muscle, which sometimes becomes inflamed and presses against the sciatic nerve, causing pain. It also stretches all the deep hip rotator muscles.
  4. Practice the same practise with the other leg.

One time you can practice the reclining version without hurting, piece of work with your physical therapist on the sitting and forrad versions of the pigeon pose.

Shop for yoga mats online.

Share on Pinterest
In this version of dove pose, you sit cross-legged.
Goodboy Picture Company/Getty Images

  1. Sit down on the floor with your legs stretched out straight in forepart of you.
  2. Bend your right leg, putting your right ankle on top of the left knee.
  3. Lean frontwards and allow your upper trunk to reach toward your thigh.
  4. Agree for fifteen to 30 seconds. This stretches the glutes and lower back.
  5. Echo on the other side.

Share on Pinterest
Begin this version of the pigeon pose by getting on your knees on the floor, facing downwardly.
Agile Body Artistic Heed

  1. Kneel on the floor on all fours.
  2. Pick up your right leg and motion information technology forrard on the ground in front of your torso. Your lower leg should be on the footing, horizontal to the body. Your right foot should be in front of your left knee while your right knee stays to the right.
  3. Stretch the left leg out all the fashion backside you on the floor, with the elevation of the foot on the ground and toes pointing back.
  4. Shift your body weight gradually from your arms to your legs so that your legs are supporting your weight. Sit down up straight with your hands on either side of your legs.
  5. Accept a deep breath. While exhaling, lean your upper body forward over your front leg. Support your weight with your arms as much as possible.
  6. Repeat on the other side.

Share on Pinterest
The knee to opposite shoulder stretch is done while lying apartment on your dorsum.
Active Body Artistic Mind

This unproblematic stretch helps relieve sciatica pain by loosening your gluteal and piriformis muscles, which tin can go inflamed and press against the sciatic nervus.

  1. Lie on your back with your legs extended and your feet flexed upwardly.
  2. Curve your right leg and clasp your hands around the knee.
  3. Gently pull your right leg across your torso toward your left shoulder. Hold information technology there for thirty seconds. Remember to pull your knee merely as far as it will comfortably go. Yous should feel a relieving stretch in your muscle, not pain.
  4. Push your articulatio genus so your leg returns to its starting position.
  5. Repeat for a total of three reps, then switch legs.

Share on Pinterest
In the sitting spinal stretch, turn to your side to assist relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Lucas Ottone/Stocksy United

Sciatica hurting is triggered when vertebrae in the spine shrink. This stretch helps create space in the spine to salve pressure on the sciatic nerve.

  1. Sit on the ground with your legs extended straight out with your feet flexed upward.
  2. Bend your right knee joint and place your foot flat on the floor on the outside of your opposite articulatio genus.
  3. Place your left elbow on the outside of your right genu to help you lot gently turn your body toward the right.
  4. Hold for xxx seconds and repeat three times, and then switch sides.

Share on Pinterest
To do the standing hamstring stretch, brainstorm by standing, and place your right foot on a college surface, like a chair.
Illustration by Maya Chastain

This stretch can help ease pain and tightness in the hamstring caused by sciatica.

  1. Place your right pes on an elevated surface at or below your hip level. This could be a chair, ottoman, or pace on a staircase. Flex your human foot so your toes and leg are straight. If your knee tends to hyperextend, keep a slight bend in information technology.
  2. Bend your body forward slightly toward your pes. The further yous go, the deeper the stretch. Don't push so far that you lot feel pain.
  3. Release the hip of your raised leg downward equally opposed to lifting information technology up. If yous need assistance easing your hip down, loop a yoga strap or long practice ring over your right thigh and under your left foot.
  4. Hold for at least thirty seconds, then repeat on the other side.

Share on Pinterest
While stretching each leg in the basic seated stretch, retrieve to keep your dorsum directly.
Active Body Creative Heed

You begin this stretch by sitting downwards on a chair and crossing your painful leg over the human knee of your other leg. So follow these steps:

  • Curve forward with your chest and try to agree your spine straight. As long as it's not painful, try to bend over a scrap more. Stop if you feel any pain.
  • Continue this position for 30 seconds and repeat the exercise with the other leg.

Share on Pinterest
Y'all can hold your hands on your hips for extra balance while in the standing piriformis stretch.
Active Body Creative Mind

This is another standing stretch that can help with sciatica hurting. You tin can practise this without support if you lot're able, or you can stand against a wall and place your feet about 24 inches from the wall.

  • Put your painful leg over the knee joint of your other leg while continuing. Bend your standing leg and endeavor to make the number 4 with your hips lowered to the ground at a 45-caste angle.
  • Bend your waist down and swing your arms down while holding your back straight. Stay in position for 30 to threescore seconds.
  • Switch legs and echo.

Share on Pinterest
In the groin and long adductor muscle stretch, angle your trunk toward the floor.
Analogy past Alyssa Kiefer

This stretch requires sitting downward on the floor with your legs spread out equally far autonomously as y'all can straight in front of you lot.

  • Place your hands on the flooring in front of you on the flooring and angle your torso toward the floor.
  • Lean forward, leaving your elbows on the floor. Hold the position for 10 to 20 seconds. Stop if y'all feel whatsoever hurting.

Share on Pinterest
By bending down in the scissor hamstring stretch, you can reduce the force per unit area of the hamstring muscles on the sciatic nerve. Jose Coello/Stocksy United

The ischial tuberosity, also known as the sit or sitz basic, begins at the ischium, which is ane of the parts that make up the pelvic girdle along with the ilium and the pubis.

The hamstring muscles attach to the ischial tuberosity via the sacrotuberous ligament (STL). When they are tight, hamstring muscles can mimic sciatica symptoms.

This stretch can help loosen those hamstring muscles, helping salvage their force per unit area on the sciatic nerve. It may assistance to practice this exercise daily.

  • Identify your right foot nigh 3 anxiety behind your left foot.
  • Pull your hips forward and push your shoulders back, merely your right hip shouldn't be farther frontwards than your left hip. A mirror may assistance brand a judgment on this.
  • Put your hands on your hips. Y'all may use a chair for balance if yous demand it.
  • Push your body a bit over your front leg by bending your waist while keeping your back straight. Keep your weight on your front leg.
  • Keep this position for 5 to 10 seconds, so repeat the stretch with the opposite leg. Exercise the stretch for each leg iii to 5 times.

Kovacs emphasizes that you lot shouldn't assume that you lot'll be as flexible as the exercises ideally call for. "Don't think that because of what y'all see on YouTube or Boob tube that y'all tin become into these positions," he says. "Most people who demonstrate the exercises take great flexibility and accept been doing information technology for years. If you have whatsoever kind of pain, you should stop."

Corina Martinez, a physical therapist at Knuckles Sports Medicine Center and member of the American Medical Lodge for Sports Medicine, says that there'southward no one-size-fits-all do for people who have sciatic nerve pain.

She suggests adjusting the positions slightly, such every bit pulling your knees in more or less, and noticing how they feel. "If 1 feels better, that is the treatment you lot want to pursue," she advises.

Martinez says that anyone experiencing even mild sciatic nerve hurting for more than a month should see a doctor or physical therapist. They may find relief with an in-home exercise program tailored specifically to their pain.

The first line of intervention for sciatica should definitely be physical therapy considering it is active, information technology is educational, and the primary goal is to restore part and brand each patient independent.

The clue is to find experienced, manual trained concrete therapists who combine an understanding of alignment, motion, and therapeutic do, and who ready a clear plan of care to attain measurable goals. After that, what'south left is to actively participate in the program!
— Mindy Marantz, PT, MS, GCFP