Posts tagged Stretches

Do you have pain/soreness in your lower back? Or perhaps you have shooting pains down your leg that makes it difficult to walk? Many people with these conditions also complain of tingling and numbness in their buttocks and leg (or legs).

All of these are common symptoms of sciatica. They result from a compression of the sciatic nerve somewhere along its path. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It extends from the base of your spine through your hips and buttocks, and down the length of each leg.

The good news is that there are a series of sciatic nerve stretches that are designed to stop the compression and relieve the discomfort.

The difficult part of sciatica is that there are multiple points along the sciatic nerve that are susceptible to compression. Your doctor can help you determine where the trouble is. Your doctor will most likely also prescribe pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and probably some physical therapy as well.

Quite frequently, the compression is at the base of the spine. A bulging or herniated disk can pinch the sciatic nerve in certain positions. Many other conditions can also pinch the nerve in or near the spine.

Another point of compression involves your piriformis muscle deeper down in your hips. The piriformis muscle can cause the same symptoms as spinal sciatica if it pinches the sciatic nerve.

Sciatic nerve stretches are frequently used to treat both kinds of sciatica. The goal is to stretch and loosen the muscles that are causing the compression and irritation of the sciatic nerve. But you have to be careful about choosing the proper stretches and exercises. Some may have no effect on your pain. Others could make it worse.

There is one simple sciatic nerve stretch that many people report immediate benefit from. For this stretch, you need to lie on the floor on your back. Lift your affected leg and cross it over your other leg so that the back side of your affected knee is positioned on the other. Finally, reach down and grab your knee on your good side and pull it towards your chest so that your feet are off of the floor. The goal is to feel a good stretch. Don’t do anything that hurts. Hold this position for a few seconds and then release. Repeat this movement several times in sequence for a couple times a day and see if it helps the pain.

However, please remember that treating the pain does not fix the problem.

The best sciatica treatment plans focus on identifying what are called physical dysfunctions and muscle imbalances. Almost everyone is walking around with one or more of these dysfunctions. Most people don’t even realize it. They are conditions that build up over time due to daily life, our work habits, sitting in front of a computer all day, etc.

When treating sciatica pain, it is very important to not just treat the pain but also to deal with these muscle imbalances. Otherwise, your sciatica symptoms will eventually return. In this situation, removing the pain does not fix the problem. You have to correct the deeper level imbalances that are creating all the problems in the first place.

A good sciatica treatment program will help you identify which muscle imbalances you have and then dictate a set of specific sciatic nerve stretches that are unique to you and your specific condition.