3 Simple Exercises to Ease Sciatica
Sciatica is a general term used to explain a set of symptoms around the sciatic nerve.
The medical term for sciatica is radiculopathy, which means that a radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back is irritated or pinched.
When a nerve root is being pinched in the lower back, pain typically radiates down one or both of the legs.
The specific places or pattern of pain one feels down the leg is dependent upon which nerve root is being pinched, compressed, or irritated in the lower back.
There are many different conditions that can cause this type of pain including lumbar herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, facet joint osteoarthritis, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, or perform syndrome.
For today’s video we show you 3 simple exercises you can do at home to ease sciatica symptoms that could be related to a lumbar herniated disc.
If these exercises are difficult to perform on your painful side, try performing them on your non-painful side first.
Believe it or not, some patients report a reduction of pain down their painful leg when they perform these exercises on their non-painful side first!
- 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐔𝐩𝐬 – Lying face down, slowly press up and arch your back using your arms. Repeat this exercise for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
- 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐍𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 – Start by lying on your back and holding the back of your knee. Next, attempt to straighten your knee. Lastly, hold this position and then bend your ankle forward and back as shown. Repeat this exercise for 3 sets of 10 repetitions on both sides.
- 𝐏𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡 – While lying on your back with both knee bent, cross your affected leg on the other knee. Next, hold your unaffected thigh and pull it up towards your chest until a stretch is felt in the buttock. Repeat this stretch for 3 sets of 30 second holds on each side.