Sciatic Nerve Stretches
Pain Relief With Sciatic Nerve Stretches
Many people find that a combination of sciatic nerve stretches and physical therapy can provide effective pain relief of their sciatica symptoms. In fact, even those who undergo surgery for these symptoms often find that their pain returns in a few months if they do not also follow some form of preventative physical therapy.
Sciatic nerve stretches can be used to treat the immediate pain as well assist in long term pain prevention, so it is a very useful form of self-therapy. But the key is to select the correct stretches for your specific condition.
Simple Sciatic Nerve Stretch Example
Here is an example of a very easy stretch that you can do. It may not work for everyone, but it gives you an idea of what is involved.
Video: Simple Sciatic Nerve Stretches
Know The Cause Of Your Sciatic Pain
Please do not attempt any of the exercises or stretches mentioned on this page or elsewhere on the internet without consulting with your physician first. The information here is only for educational purposes. Your doctor will be able to recommend the best course of treatment for your condition. But even more importantly, you need to find out the underlying cause of your sciatic pain. Where you feel the pain might not be where the problem is. Once you know what is causing your pain, then you can choose the best course of physical therapy.
The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the human body. It stretches from the base of the spine, passes through the pelvis, and travels down the length of the leg. It is responsible for relaying messages between the brain and the muscles of the leg. Sciatica pain is caused by a compression, pinch, or area of irritation somewhere along the length of the nerve.
There are two areas of the body that are responsible for most sciatica and sciatica-like pain. Both areas involve compression of the sciatic nerve.
Spinal sciatica refers to the pain resulting from compression of the nerve roots at the base of the spine. Piriformis Muscle Syndrome is another form of sciatica. It is more accurately called pseudo-sciatica because it occurs away from the spine.
What Type of Sciatica Do You Have?
Once you know what is causing your sciatica pain, you can choose the right stretches and exercises to help relieve the pain. There are different exercises for each kind of sciatica.
Herniated Disc Sciatica
A spinal disk is a section of soft material between each of your spinal vertebra. Various factors can cause a spinal disk in your lower spine to bulge outwards or herniate so that it presses against your sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve stretches for this type of condition have to be customized to the specific location of the disk herniation.
Sciatic from Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the area around the spinal cord and nerves becomes constricted. If you have this type of constriction you become more vulnerable to irritation and impingement of the sciatic nerve.
Stretches for this type of sciatica will focus on flexing the lower spine to increase the space, relieve the pressure, and allow the irritation to heal.
Spondylolisthesis Sciatica
Spondylolisthesis is a painful condition of sciatic in which one of the vertebra in the lower spine slips out of place and moves forward on to another one. Fortunately, this is relatively rare compared to the others.
The stretches for this condition can be a little complex and it helps to have the help of a trained professional. Basically they focus on flexing and building strength in the muscles around the spine.
Piriformis Muscle Syndrome
The forth cause of sciatica pain occurs away from the spine. The sciatic nerve passes close to the piriformis muscle in the hips. Usually it passes over or under this muscle. In some individuals, the sciatic nerve actually passes in between branches of the muscle. Due to its close proximity, the piriformis muscle can press against or pinch the sciatic nerve.
How to keep the pain from coming back?
Sciatic nerve stretches can be very helpful, but they are only part of the solution. If you only treat the pain without treating the underlying conditions, your sciatica pain will very likely return.
The best solution is to follow a comprehensive program for sciatica relieve and long term prevention. You can work with a physical therapist or you can choose one of the many self-guided sciatica relief programs available. The one that seems the most well rounded in a program called Lose The Back Pain.
Here are two more videos on Sciatic Nerve Stretches
Also, keep learning about sciatica. The more you know, the more you can help your self.
Good luck!
Sciatica Nerve Treatment
Are you suffering from sciatic pain?
Then you know that the pain that is radiating through your lower back, buttocks, down your leg, or maybe just throbbing in your lower back can be excruciating.
You have probably searched the internet looking for cheap and effective methods of treatment. There are lots of different approaches to sciatica nerve treatment. Some are more complicated than others. Some require trained assistance. Others you can learn to do on your own.
While some experts recommend surgical solutions to sciatica pain, others recommend a targeted plan of sciatica nerve stretches, exercises, and various other methods of sciatica nerve treatment. The interesting fact is that post people who have sciatica surgery find that the pain eventually returns in a few months. This is because they haven’t dealt with the underlying causes of their sciatica.
Sciatica Nerve Treatment Options
Stretching is only one of the many treatment options that are available to you. Others may include one of the following, or any combination thereof:
- simple stretches – performed while standing, on the floor, or even while sitting. Performing sciatic nerve stretches from one to several times a day may help relieve pain and pressure on your sciatic nerve.
- medicine – usually painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs
- regular appointments with a chiropractor or masseuse
- acupuncture or acupressure
- simple behavior modifications – for example, perhaps it is the way that you are sitting at work, or the way in which you recline while watching TV that puts the pressure on your sciatic nerve, thus irritating it and causing the pain that you now feel. Taking the pressure off of the irritated nerve may be as simple as sitting up straight or using a special pillow under your knees or back when you sleep.
- taking a hot bath every evening before bed
- sleeping or sitting with a heating pad
- surgery to remove the bit of herniated disc that is impinging on the nerve
- surgery to correct the slipped vertebra that is putting pressure on the lower vertebrae and your sciatic nerve bundle
You may have already tried a few of these. If they have failed, or not produced desirable results, keep in mind that some sciatica nerve treatment options could take days or weeks, while others may produce results within a few hours. Perhaps you haven’t yet tried the specific stretch that could loosen pressure on the nerve – this could be a simple stretch that you only need to do for 3 minutes twice a day or a whole series that needs to be performed every morning.
Here is a simple example of a sciatica nerve treatment stretch:
Don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor or physical therapist about some of these recommendations, especially to determine if you are at a point where exercise/stretching is appropriate for you. There are a variety of sciatica nerve treatment options out there for you, and a professional opinion is always best. However, if your doctor or physical therapist hasn’t heard about some of these sciatica nerve treatments try to educate him or her.
The only way to find what works for you is to do the research that shows you what options are out there for you. Good luck!
Piriformis Syndrome Exercises – Are They Enough?
If you are suffering from Piriformis Syndrome, your doctor will most likely recommend a series of piriformis syndrome exercises and stretches to help ease your pain. These stretches focus on reducing the tension in the muscle, relieving the pressure on the sciatic nerve, and giving any irritation and swelling a chance to heal.
What is piriformis syndrome?
The piriformis muscle is a muscle located deep in the hip. The problem is that is runs very close to the sciatic nerve, a long bundle of nerve fibers that runs from the base of the spine down each leg. In some people, the sciatic nerve runs in front of the piriformis muscle. In other cases, it runs behind it. In a small percentage of the population, the sciatic nerve actually runs through a fork in the muscle.
In each case, this close proximity means that the piriformis muscle can squeeze and/or irritate the sciatic nerve. This often results in intense pain, pain that radiates up and down the leg. Other people report numbness, tingling, or that pins and needles sensation all along their leg.
Doctors often incorrectly diagnose this condition as sciatica. In truth, the nerve is not being impinged at the spine. It is happening farther down in the hip where the nerve crosses the piriformis muscle.
Doctors usually prescribe pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs to treat the condition. This helps to ease the pain and reduce any swelling. Then they recommend a course of physical therapy involving piriformis syndrome stretches.
However…
Click here to learn why piriformis syndrome stretches are only part of the solution.
What are some examples of typical piriformis syndrome exercises?
The piriformis syndrome exercises are designed to ease pressure on the sciatic nerve. They are all stretches that aim to stretch out the muscles and prevent tightening and further constriction on the nerve.
Supine Piriformis Stretch
This is an easy stretch to do. There are several variations on this stretch, but the one I like is as follows:
Lie on your back. Cross your affected leg over the other leg at the knee. Now, curl up and grab your lower knee. Pull this knee up towards the shoulder on the same side. You’ll start to feel the stretch. You should feel the stretch in your leg, not your knee. Try to hold this position for about thirty seconds before releasing and returning to your starting position. Try to do this three times in a row a few times a day.
Buttocks Stretch
Another example of a piriformis syndrome exercise is as follows:
Start by getting on all fours. Cross your affected leg underneath you but keep your knee on the outside of your body. Now, slowly lower yourself down on to your elbows. At the same time, extend your good leg and your hips backwards. You don’t need to go all the way to the floor, instead, go just until you feel the stretch. Make you you feel the stretch in your leg, not your knee. Do this three times in a row and repeat several times throughout the day.
Hamstring Stretch
Regardless of the source of your sciatica, many people also find relief from hamstring stretches. I’m sure you’ve done stretches like this before. Simply lie on your back and lift your affected leg. Grab and hold your leg behind the knee. Some people find it easier to use a towel to hold the leg up. Slowly straighten our your leg until you feel the stretch. Do everything slowly and try to hold the position for at least 10 seconds. Don’t bounce your leg. Repeat this several times a day and try to hold the position for longer and longer.
But are these piriformis syndrome stretches enough?
So here is the catch. Each piriformis syndrome exercise is designed to ease pain and build flexibility. They are good for short term pain relief only. If you really want to treat your condition, you need to adopt a more comprehensive strategy. The conditions and muscle imbalances that led to your piriformis syndrome have been slowly building for years. If you simply treat the pain and ignore the underlying causes, it is very likely that your symptoms will soon return.
Recommended Program
I looked into several piriformis syndrome exercise therapy programs, but only one really stood out for me. It stood out because it went deeper than the rest, helping to diagnose, treat, and correct the underlying conditions that caused all the symptoms in the first place.
Click here to learn why piriformis syndrome exercises are only part of the solution.
Stretches For Sciatica – The Most Important Stretch To Know
I was recently researching good stretches for sciatica and I came across a video that was particularly helpful.
One of the best stretches for sciatica that I’ve found is one called the simple sciatica stretch. If you have a moment, take a look at the video featured in the previous link. You’ll learn the basic technique plus several variations. I’ve read many accounts where people said this one stretch was all they needed to relieve their pain. Now, I can’t promise that you’ll have the same results, but these stretches for sciatica are definitely something you should become familiar with.
The basic technique is as follows:
- Lie on your back with you feet on the floor and your knees bent.
- Take your affected leg (the one with the sciatica pain) and cross it over your other leg.
- Reaching through your crossed legs, wrap your hands around your other kneed and curl it up to your chest.
- The goal is to feel stretching in your gluteal muscles. Stop if you encounter any pain.
- Repeat this a few times in a row and practice this stretch several times a day.
Check out the stretches for sciatica video for additional variations on the technique.
Before you begin any stretching program, however, make sure you have a clear idea of what is causing your sciatica symtoms. Go see your doctor and get a firm diagnosis.
I say this because there are two primary areas responsible for most sciatica and sciatica-like symptoms. It can be triggered by pressure at the spine or deeper down in the hip. Various conditions in each of these areas can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, causing the pain.
As you might imagine, certain exercises will be more effective for certain conditions. On the flip side, certain exercises may also be harmful depending on the causes of your sciatica. If you attempt any of these exercises, be sure to stop immediately if there is any pain. The goal is to relieve your pain, not create more.
There is also an excellent self care program that helps you identify the source of your sciatica pain and then helps you design your own targeted therapy program for treating your condition. In addition to various stretches for sciatica pain relief, you’ll also learn strategies for long term pain relief and prevention.
Finally, keep in mind that treating the pain is only part of the solution. Many people assume that when the pain goes away, their problem goes away. This is not true. If you stop at this point, you pain will more than likely come back. For long term pain relief and prevention, make sure you choose a comprehensive solution. The right sciatica pain relief program will focus on treating the pain and also the underlying causes that led to the problem in the first place.