6 stretching exercises to relieve sciatica

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Exercises to treat sciatica play a very important role in the patient's ability to recover. However, patients need to exercise with appropriate intensity and posture to maximize health benefits.

1. Dove pose, lying on your back

The pigeon pose is a popular pose in yoga, and it's also a popular sciatica treatment. For those who are just starting to treat sciatica, try the Reclining pigeon pose first:
Lie on your back, bring your right leg up to form a right angle. Clasp both hands behind your thighs and interlace your fingers. Raise your left leg, placing your right ankle on top of your left knee. Hold the pose for a moment (45 seconds - 1 minute). This helps stretch the pear muscle, which sometimes becomes inflamed and presses on the sciatic nerve, causing pain. Do the same for the other leg. When you can do the supine pigeon pose without pain, consult your physiotherapist for assistance in performing the seated and forward bended pigeon pose.
Conquering this posture, the patient will be able to perform many exercises for people with sciatica without much difficulty, and also train themselves for a resilient health and strong spirit.

2. Exercises to cure sciatica with sitting pigeon pose

Once you've mastered the lying pigeon pose, try the Sitting pigeon pose. This is an exercise for sciatica to help stretch the patient's buttocks and lower back. You can use a cushion under the back leg to support the force, practice in the following order:
Sit on the floor, straighten your legs forward. Bend right leg, place right ankle on top of left knee. Lean forward and let your upper body reach toward your thighs. Hold the pose for about 15 - 30 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.

3. Pigeon forward bend

Pigeon forward bend is an exercise that stretches the pear and lumbar muscles, while also working the rotator cuff muscles and outer hip area. This sciatica treatment exercise is very beneficial for people who sit a lot, especially office people, and has the effect of reducing fatigue and body aches after a day of work. Sequential steps are as follows:
Start in a kneeling position, with both hands and feet on the floor. Move your right leg forward so that the knee is on the floor near the right hand and the shin is toward the left hip. Extend your left leg straight back so that the top of your foot is on the ground and your toes are facing back, touching the floor. Gradually shift your body weight from your arms to your legs (let your feet support your weight). Sit up straight, hands at your sides. Deep breath. While exhaling, lean your upper body forward, supporting as much of your weight as possible with your arms. Repeat on the other leg.

4. Knee to opposite shoulder pose

This sciatica exercise helps to relax the glutes and pelvic muscles, which can become inflamed and put pressure on the sciatic nerve causing pain. The patient does the following:
Lie on your back, legs straight, toes pointing up. Bend your right leg and clasp your hands around the back of your right knee. Gently pull your right leg up to your body level, toward your left shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds. Only pull the knee up to the furthest position that you are comfortable with (no pain). At this point you will feel the muscle tension lessen. Move the knee to bring the leg back to the original position. Repeat the pose 3 times, then switch legs.

5. Spinal twisting is an effective sciatica treatment exercise

When the vertebrae in the spine are compressed, it will cause sciatica. This stretching exercise helps to create space in the spine, thereby reducing pressure on the sciatic nerve. The steps include:
Start in a sitting position on the ground, legs straight, feet perpendicular to the top. Bend your right knee and place your foot on the floor on the outside of the opposite leg's knee. Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee to give you support and gently rotate your body towards the right. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat 3 times then switch sides.

6. Hamstring stretching exercise

This is a sciatica exercise that works to relieve pain and tension in the hamstrings - the cause of sciatic nerve pain. The sequence to do this stretch is as follows:
Place your right foot on a surface that is at or below your hip height (maybe using a chair or stairs). Straighten legs and toes. Try not to bend the knee. Bend slightly forward toward your toes. The further you go, the deeper the stretch. However, do not push too far as it will hurt you. Try to lower your thighs as low as you can and hold for at least 30 seconds, then repeat for the other leg. To perform exercises for people with sciatica, you do not need to be too flexible or try to use a lot of force. If you feel pain while exercising at any time, you should stop and rest.
In fact, no exercise is right for all sciatica patients. You can modify movements yourself to make them more comfortable for you, like pulling your knees higher or lower, for example. If you feel effective pain relief, you are exercising properly.
In the case of a patient with sciatica for a month or more (even if mild), it is advisable to see a doctor or physiotherapist to plan exercises designed specifically for the pain yours.

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Reference source: healthline.com