Sciatica Stretches: Which Ones Are The Best?

When dealing with sciatica pain it’s important to quickly identify the symptoms and figure out how to treat them properly. One effective way of temporarily dissipating some of the pain is by performing proper sciatica stretches. Certified specialist Dr. Mark Kovacs is a conditioning and strength specialist who claims the most effective way to perform stretches to relieve sciatica pain is to focus on stretches that “can externally rotate your hip”.

Here are four simple yet proven sciatica stretches to help alleviate some of your sciatica pain.

• Reclining pigeon pose
• Sitting pigeon pose
• Knee to opposite shoulder
• Standing hamstring stretch

The reclining pigeon pose will help to open your hips and is a great way to start your sciatica pain treatment

• Begin by lying down flat on your back.
• Next, raise your right leg up and make a right angle with it while using your hands to grab behind your thigh, make sure to lock your fingers when you do this.
• With this position held bring up your left leg and touch the knee of your left leg to your right ankle. Hold this position for a couple of seconds.

This stretch helps to work the piriformis muscle. The piriformis muscle can sometimes swell and push against the sciatic nerve which in turn causes you pain.Make sure to repeat this same motion with your other leg and don’t overstretch.

Sitting pigeon pose

• Begin by sitting on the floor and stretching your legs straight out in front of you.
• Next bend your right leg making sure to put your ankle on top of your left knee.
• With this position held tilt forward allowing the upper body to reach toward your thigh. Touch your toes if you can.
• Hold this position for approximately 10 -25 seconds taking care not to strain yourself too much.

This will work to stretch the lower back and glutes. Make sure to repeat this using your left leg.

Knee to opposite shoulder

Knee to opposite shoulder

Another simple but effective stretch that works by relieving tension from your glutes and piriformis muscles. As we’ve previously stated these are the muscles that can press against your sciatic nerve causing discomfort

• Lie down flat on your back and extend your legs outward.
• Bring your right leg up by bending it and grasp your upper shins right below the knee.
• Holding this position carefully bring your leg across your body towards the opposite shoulder ( in this case the left shoulder ).
• Return your leg to its starting position and repeat this process for your other leg. Do this for a few reps and be careful not to overdo it.

Standing hamstring stretch

Standing hamstring stretch

This fourth and final stretch will help to loosen the hamstring area and ease some of the pain caused in the hamstring by sciatica.

• Being very careful set your right foot on a raised surface around your hip level. This can be accomplished by using a chair, coffee table, or even some stairs. Make sure you position yourself so that your legs are straight as well as your toes. Also don’t force yourself into this position, if it’s necessary for you to bend your knee a little bit than by all means do it.
• Slowly bend forward trying to reach for your foot. Do not over stretch! Ease up once you begin to feel discomfort.
• Slowly bring the hip of your raised leg back to a straightened position taking great care to not over stretch.
• Try and hold this stretch for 20 – 30 seconds and repeat for your other leg.

How to cure your sciatica for good

The sciatica stretches found on this website can work wonders however they are not intended to get rid of or cure your sciatica. If you want to read about how I completely got rid of my sciatica pain for good than be sure to read this. I you want me to get straight to the point then you have to check out “Sciatica SOS”. Sciatica SOS is the only doctor endorsed, comprehensive eBook that helped to completely eliminate my sciatica for good, and in a very short amount of time.