Various Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief

spinal stenosis

When the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed, impinged or damaged, it can cause both motor and sensory problems to the thighs up to the toes. This is because of the stimulation of each nerve root with certain muscles of the lower limbs. During a sciatic nerve impingement, the muscle of the affected nerve root supplies become weak. The nerve root carries sensory information from the skin to the brain and so a person may experience sensory-related symptoms like numbness and tingling sensation to the area supplied by the affected nerve root.

Sciatica is the condition in which pain associated with the nerve impingement. It is commonly marked by pain that is acute and will disappear as soon as the removal of pressure from the sciatic nerve is done. The pain is described as shooting, cramping or burning which extends from the hips, the thighs up to the feet and toes.

There are three major causes of sciatica and these are spinal stenosis, herniated disc and intervertebral degeneration.

Spinal stenosis is the most common cause of sciatica. It is a condition marked by narrowing of the nerve root canal. The nerve root canal is where the spinal nerves exit and once there are bony spurs or thickening in that area, the sciatic nerve was impinged, pressured or may even become damaged.

Another cause of sciatica is a herniated disc. Our spines have intervertebral discs that act like a cushion that helps protect the vertebral bones from bumping into one another and when these intervertebral discs bulge or rupture, it will cause nearby nerves to become impinged. Furthermore, when the herniated disc occurs in the lumbar region it may impinge the sciatic nerve and cause sciatica.

The third most common cause of sciatica is degenerative disk disease. When the intervertebral disc degenerates it will cause the upper vertebral bones to collapse on the lower vertebral bones causing instability and once this happens, the spinal nerves will most likely get impinged.

There are several medical treatment that could be used such as NSAID or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which will greatly improve the swelling issues. Once the swelling has gone down, exercises are recommended to help with the residual pain, restore flexibility and prevent sciatica again.

These are the different types of exercises for each major causes of sciatica.

Exercises for Sciatica Caused By A Herniated Disc

For a herniated disc the idea is to over extend your spine toward the back to lessen the pain. The goal is to centralize the pain.

Exercise 1. Prone with both elbows bended and fixed on the floor. Arch your back as far as you can with your elbows firmly placed at the back. Hold this stretch for several seconds and then repeat it up to five times.

Exercise 2. Prone with elbows extended and palms placed on the floor. Over arch your back and hold this for few seconds then repeat up to five times but be sure to take enough rests in among these exercises.

Exercise 3. Prone with a pillow at the front for support. Bend your right elbow and place your arms at the back of the crook of your spine then do the same thing with the other arm.

Exercise 4. Prone with knee and arms extended. This is like swimming but only on the ground. You raise one leg and the opposite arm off the floor. Keep this action for few seconds and then do this to the opposite arm and corresponding opposite leg as well.

Exercise 5. The starting action of this exercise is lying down. Bend the knee and firmly place the feet on the ground. With both of your arms folded across your abdomen you do a curl up to strengthen the muscles of your abdomen.

Exercises For Sciatica Caused By Spinal Stenosis

The goal is to increase or restore flexibility of the lower back.

Exercise 1. Lie on your back with both of your knees bended. Pull one leg at a time and when you have both of the legs pulled up, stretch the lower spine by drawing both of your knees close to your chest. Keep that positions for about 30 seconds or more.

Exercise 2. With your head bowed to the ground and hips flexed, stretch your arms directly in front of you until you feel a stretch on your lower back.

Exercise 3. Lying on your back you bend your hip and knee while lying on the plinth or bed. With your left hand internally rotate your knee toward the left side of your body and try to feel the stretch on your lower back. Hold this action for few seconds then do the same with the opposite side of your body.

Exercise 4. Bring up the right ankle and cross over to the left knee. You basically make a figure-4 with your knee and ankle. Grab the left leg and pull it up to the chest to feel a stretch on the lower back. This will increase flexibility and help relieve pain. Hold the stretch for few seconds then do the same exercise using the opposite leg.

Exercise for Sciatica Caused by Degenerative Disk Disease

The goal is to strengthen your abdomen but at the same time to stretch your lower back.

Exercise 1. Do the pelvic tilt exercise by lying on your back with your hips and knees flexed. Try to tighten your abdominal muscles and flatten your lower back by trying to push your lower back to the floor. Hold action for five seconds or so and repeat five times.