Some people think that stretching exercises will cure their sciatic pain. Stretching exercises are great for relieving some of the pain and other symptoms, but will never cure sciatica problems on their own. There are other treatment options for sciatica that, if used in conjunction with stretching exercises, will offer the patient long lasting relief. Stretching is beneficial because the stretched muscles increase the blood and oxygen circulation and relieves the pain for a while. Any pain relief is welcomed, pain relief of a few hours is pure bliss. Read below for some of the best stretches to do when sciatic pain hits you.
Lie on your back on the floor, legs straight out. Using both hands, bring one knee up slowly until it touches your chest. You will feel a stretch of the gluteus and hamstring muscles. Hold this position for 10 – 20 seconds. Straighten leg, rest, then do the other leg. If you have arthritis, or suffer from any kind of knee pain, it is better to grasp the leg from behind the knee rather than from the front side. This exercise can actually be done on your bed or while you are standing up. However you choose to do it, know that this is one of the best exercises to relieve sciatic nerve pain.
Lie on your back on the floor. Cross the right leg over your left leg and, holding it with both hands, bring your left leg towards your chest. This exercise stretches the piriformis muscle which is located in your lower buttocks. Hold this position for 10 – 15 seconds. Rest legs and repeat with other side. This is also one of the best stretching exercises for sciatic pain and other lower back pain problems.
Again, lie flat on your back on the floor. Bend your knees and tilt your pelvis so that your back is flat against the floor and the bones of your pelvis are rolled up. This lifts your tailbone off the floor. Now, breathe out slowly as you move your abdominal muscles to flatten the spine and roll your tailbone back down to the floor. Take a deep breath and let the tailbone do its thing. You can do this exercise while you are sitting or standing – just use a wall or a chair for back support. Do these stretches 8 -10 times a day. Most experts say this is the best exercise to do for herniated disc.
Place a good sized block against a wall. With your feet shoulder width apart, stand straight next to the wall. Take a deep breath and slide your feet outwards until they are about 1 meter apart. We are not all the same, so do make sure that you are comfortable before going further. Raise your arms up to your shoulders, then turn your right foot parallel to the wall. Slide your left foot in just a bit towards your right foot. Bend your right knee and put your right hand on the block. Now, lift your left arm and straighten out your right leg. Your left hand should be touching the wall and in line with the right arm. Look up at your left thumb and keep all your body weight on your right foot, hip and thigh. Hold this position for at least 10 seconds. Repeat all these steps and do the other side. This is much easier than it sounds.
These are just some of the better known sciatica stretching exercises to help you feel better. Before you try any exercises, you should always talk to your doctor first to find out just what exercises he thinks are safe for you to do. Sciatica stretches for inversion therapy is also available now. Ask your doctor if you are an eligible candidate for this treatment, it can only help you.