The 3 Sciatica Exercises That May Help You
Sciatica exercises, especially stretching exercises work especially well when the cause of your sciatica pain is from a tight or spastic muscle. PROCEED WITH CAUTION WITH THESE EXERCISES. If you don’t know exactly which sciatica stretches and exercises to do, DON’T do any. Guessing in this area can hurt you and can make your sciatica worse.
But… there are 3 easy sciatica exercises that most people with sciatica can safely do. If you feel SHARP PAIN in your low back… or anywhere… while doing any of these exercises, STOP immediately.
Many sciatica problems can be relieved by sciatica exercises. But if you’re getting SHARP PAIN with any of the exercises below, your sciatica may be beyond this point. You may have a serious condition that needs expert help.
WARNING: As a general rule, if your sciatica is caused by a herniated disc or a bulged disc, DON’T do the exercises that require you to bend your torso forward. Also, DON’T do the exercises that require you to bend your leg(s) up.
If your sciatica is caused by referred pain from an irritated low back spinal facet joint or spinal arthritis, DON’T do the exercises that require you to bend your torso backward.
Typically, when you do the sciatica exercises that are “BAD” for your specific condition, you’ll notice that your sciatica pain, numbness and/or tingling will feel WORSE.
It’s best to consult a sciatica expert who can help you determine the cause of your sciatica before you do any of these sciatica exercises.
Sciatica Exercise #1: Contract Your Abdomen
Basically, tighten your abdomen by moving your belly button closer to your back. You can tighten your abdomen while you’re lying down, sitting or standing. This means that you can do this exercise while you wait in line at stores or while you’re waiting for someone. You can also contract your abdomen while you’re lying in bed, sitting in your car, or sitting at your desk.
Doing this simple exercise… often… can help strengthen your abdominal muscles… which can help relieve your sciatica. This is safer and more effective than crunches or sit-ups.
Sciatica Exercise #2: Move Your Knee To Your Chest With Leg Bent
You can use your hands to help keep your knees bent, but don’t use your hands to help you stretch farther… you may “overstretch” and injure yourself.
Don’t overdo this stretch… and don’t hold your leg in the bent position too long.
Sciatica Exercise #3: Stretch Your Piriformis
Put one of your legs over your opposite knee , then bend both legs . You can either wrap your hands around your top or bottom leg. Repeat on your other leg. If you feel SHARP PAIN in your low back, leg, foot or anywhere while doing the sciatica exercise below, STOP immediately. This sciatica exercise is designed to stretch your Piriformis muscle, since a tight Piriformis can cause symptoms that mimic sciatica.
Here’s another way to stretch your Piriformis:
Lie on your side… opposite the side with sciatica. With your leg that’s on top, bend your knee and hip up toward your chest… don’t overstretch. Lay your bent leg on the floor. Be sure to keep BOTH of your shoulders touching the ground.
You can choose which Piriformis stretching exercise works best for you… or you can do both methods.
There are other sciatica exercises that may help you. To view these, click on the link below that says, “Click Here For A FREE Copy Of Our Sciatica Relief Guide.”
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This sciatica book has more helpful sciatica exercises.