4 Easy Stretching Exercises for Sciatica for Instant Pain Relief

Stretching exercises for sciatica are an effective way to manage back pain related to chronic sciatica. The sufferer often complains of a pulling and tingling sensation on the back of the thigh that can aggravate with bending, twisting, and coughing. Sciatica is when the sciatic nerve gets compressed in the lumbar region. The sciatic nerve originates from the lumbar spine and travels down the thigh and leg. So, it hurts along its path when it gets compressed due to the underlying pathology.

In about 90% of cases, sciatica is caused by a herniated disc, but lumbar stenoses and tumours can also be possible causes ¹. Depending on the stage of herniated disc, it can be managed with lumbar disc hernia exercises. Whatever may be the cause, in this article we are going to learn easy yet very effective stretching exercises to cure sciatica pain almost instantly.

Best stretching exercises for sciatica

#1 Sciatic nerve stretching with hand

Let us start with sciatic nerve stretching with the hand. To perform this stretch:

1. Start by lying down on your back with both knees bent.
2. Then, lift the affected leg with sciatica pain and hold onto your thigh with both hands. Make sure to maintain a firm grip on the back of your thigh to avoid slipping or losing control.
3. Once you have a firm grip on your thigh, slowly pull your leg towards your chest, using your hands to create resistance and stretch your muscles.
4. Hold this position for five seconds, feeling the stretch in the back of your thigh and leg.
5. After holding the stretch for five seconds, slowly straighten your leg and take it as far as possible, maintaining the stretch for another five seconds.
6. Repeat this process 10 to 15 times, taking breaks to avoid overexertion.

#2 Sciatic nerve stretching using a bedsheet

The second exercise to help with sciatica pain relief is also performed in the lying position. You will need a bed sheet or a towel for this exercise, and the starting position is the same as in the first exercise.

1. Lie down on your back with your legs straightened out in front of you.
2. Next, hold the two ends of the towel on each hand and put the mid part on the ball of the toes of the foot you want to stretch, as shown in the figure. It is important to note that you can do this exercise for both legs to get maximum benefit.
3. Now, raise your leg while holding the towel and leg firmly and take it to a point where you feel a stretch behind your thigh and leg. While doing this, ensure that the knee remains as straight as possible, giving you a stretch feel in the back of your thighs.
4. Hold this for at least 30 seconds, and then you will relax.
5. In one session, do this exercise three to four times.

This exercise can be a bit challenging initially, so it’s essential to go slow and not overdo it. In many cases, the sciatic nerve gets stuck in the hamstring muscle at the back of the thigh, and we can release it by stretching it.

#3 Piriformis stretching

Our third exercise is stretching for the piriformis muscle, which is located on the outer side of the buttocks. Many people experience sciatic pain due to the constriction of this muscle, which is why stretching is an essential part of any exercise routine. This exercise can provide almost instant relief from pain.

1. To start, lie down on your back and straighten both legs.
2. Next, bend the leg, causing problems and hold the knee with both hands, as shown in the figure above.
3. Now, gently pull your knee towards your chest. However, it’s important to note that you should not pull straight but rather in an oblique direction towards the opposite shoulder. For example, if you are stretching on the right side, you should stretch in the direction of the left shoulder.
4. Hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds before relaxing.
5. Repeat this exercise three to four times in one session.

#4 Sciatica stretching exercises in sitting

The final sciatica stretching is performed in the sitting position.

1. To start with, you need to sit in a long sitting position with two legs kept apart. If you have sciatica pain in the right leg, then you should keep it straightened and outward and bend the other leg. You can refer to the figure above for a better understanding.
2. Now, you need to perform a side bend. However, you should not bend forward; instead, you must bend sideways on the painful side.
3. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then return to the relaxed position.
4. Repeat this for 3 to 4 repetitions in one session.

Final word

So these were stretching exercises. However, a study has found that chronic sciatica lasting more than 4 months and caused by lumbar disk herniation had a better outcome from the surgical intervention than conservative management². Hope you find this article helpful I have others related to sciatica which is very useful for you, like how you have to work in the kitchen and how you have to get down from the bed or sciatica sleeping position, sciatica do’s don’ts.

Sunit. S. Ekka

Dr Sunit Sanjay Ekka is a physiotherapist in practice for the last 15 years. He has done his BPT from one of the premium Central Government physiotherapy colleges, ie, SVNIRTAR. The patient is his best teacher and whatever he gets to learn he loves to share it on his Youtube channel and blog.