Sciatica - Exercises to Help Relieve Your Pain

by: PaulBoxcer
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Sciatica is a simple term used to describe pain which passes down the back of the leg as a result of irritation of the sciatic nerve. It is not a diagnostic term at all. The reason for me highlighting this point, is because any exercises for sciatica you wish to perform will be dictated by the cause of the sciatica itself. Unfortunately there are no general 'sciatica exercises' as such.

As the sciatic nerve leaves the spinal cord at the bottom of your back, it travels through your buttock and down the back of the leg as far as the knee. At this point, the sciatic nerve ceases to be, as it gives rise to other nerves. However, it is accepted within the medical profession, that any pain passing down the back of the leg, as far as your toes, is referred to as sciatica if it is the sciatic nerve which is causing the pain.

Getting back to the aim of this article i.e. exercises for Sciatica, as I mentioned above, this will all depend upon the true cause of the problem itself.

Although not exclusive, there are three main causes of sciatica:

1) Disc Prolapse.

Do not be perturbed if you have been told you have suffered a disc prolapse. It is a very common cause of Sciatica and can be quite easily treated. If there is too much stress being placed across the disc which increases pressure in a posterior / backwards direction, it is not unusual for the disc to begin to bulge this way also. Consequently, the disc may press on the nerve roots which form the sciatic nerve and pain is felt. The aim of treatment in such circumstances would be to try

2) Facet Joint Compression.

At the back of each lumbar vertebrae are the facet joints, these articulate with each other every time our back moves. Unfortunately, they can irritate the sciatica nerve, especially if they begin to pinch on the nerve roots which make up the sciatic nerve. If this was the case, an exercise programme which is almost the opposite to the one given for a disc prolapse would be given. To begin with this would include exercises such as hugging your knees to your chest while lying on the floor, or sitting back onto your knees while on all fours.

3) Tight Muscles.

It usually tends to be a tight Piriformis muscle or Hamstring muscles which are responsible here. As the sciatic nerve passes down through the buttock area and on down the back of the leg, it passes through or underneath both the Piriformis muscle and the Hamstrings. Therefore, if either of these are tight, they will need to be stretched out, as they will be placing inappropriate stretches across the sciatic nerve, leading to pain.

Any stretch for either the Piriformis of Hamstring muscles should be a gentle one to start with. Only when you feel comfortable with it should you think about progressing to more aggressive stretches.

As I mentioned above, sciatica can be a result of many different causes, and it is the cause of your Sciatica which dictates the exercises needed to be performed, not the sciatica itself.

Just to elaborate a little further before I finish, muscle imbalance is without doubt one of the biggest problems with regards to sciatica. This is where either tight or weak muscles combine to place inappropriate stresses across structures, such as the sciatic nerve, which results in pain.

The aim of treatment in these circumstances is to stretch and strengthen the appropriate muscles. Although in this article I have only discussed movement or stretching exercises, it is likely there is weakness as well as tightness present. In such circumstances, it is important strengthening exercises are also performed.

About the Author

Paul Boxcer is a BSc (Hons) Physiotherapist with over 10 years experience. Much of this time he has spent treating people with Low Back Pain & Sciatica. Sign up for his FREE 5 Day 'Cure Your Sciatica' Course and discover how to resolve your sciatica NOW!  

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