Sciatica Exercises - 4 Stretches For Sciatica Pain

Sciatica Exercises: 4 Stretches for Sciatica
Pain
These sciatica exercises may help you reduce your sciatic nerve pain in
your low back and leg. Each low-impact exercise includes written
instructions to help you fine-tune your sciatica home exercise program.
Updated Mar 25, 2020
By: HC Editorial Staff
Knee to chest exercise may help reduce nerve compression in your lumbar spine, which may help alleviate
lower back pain. 123RF.com
What Exercises Help Reduce Sciatic Nerve Pain?
There are four sciatica exercises your spine specialist may recommend to help you reduce
sciatic nerve pain caused by degenerative disc disease: pelvic tilt, knee to chest, lower trunk
rotations, and all fours opposite arm and leg extensions. Each low-impact exercise includes
written instructions to help you fine-tune your sciatica home exercise program.
Pelvic Tilt
Purpose: To strengthen the lower abdominal muscles and stretch the low back.
How to perform a pelvic tilt:
1. Lie on your back.
2. Exhale and tighten your abdominal muscles while pushing your belly button toward
the floor and flatten your lower back.
3. Hold the position for 5 seconds.
4. Repeat the pelvic tilt 10 times holding the position for 5 seconds each time.
How can I tell if I’m doing the pelvic tilt right?
Place your pinky finger on your hip bone and thumb on your lowest rib (same side of
your body).
As you tighten your abdominal muscles, the amount of space between your pinky
finger and thumb should get smaller.
Pelvic tilts can help strengthen the lower abdominal

muscles and stretch the low back. 123RF.com
Knee to Chest
Purpose: To help reduce nerve compression in your low back, which may help alleviate lower
back pain.
1. Lie on your back.
2. Starting with either your left or right knee and use your hands to gently pull the bent
knee toward your chest.
3. Hold for 10 seconds.
4. Repeat the movement with the opposite knee.
5. Perform the movement 3 to 5 times holding the position for 10 seconds each time.
6. Next, use your hands to gently pull both knees toward your chest.
7. Hold for 10 seconds.
8. Repeat the movement with both knees 3 to 5 times holding the position for 10 second
each time.
Knee to chest exercise may help reduce nerve

compression in your lumbar spine, which may help
alleviate lower back pain. 123RF.com
Lower Trunk Rotations
Purpose: To increase your spine’s mobility and flexibility.

1. Lie on your back with both knees bent upright and both feet flat on the floor (called
the hook lying position).
2. While holding both knees together, rotate your knees to one side and hold for 3 to 5
seconds. You will feel a gentle stretching sensation in the opposite side of your lower
back and hip area.
3. Next, contract your abdominal muscles and rotate both knees to the opposite side
and hold for 3 to 5 seconds.
4. Repeat up to 10 times on each side.
Lower body rotations can help you strengthen your
lower abdominal muscles and stretch your low back.
123RF.com
All Fours Opposite Arm and Leg Extensions
Purpose: To strengthen your abdominal muscles, low back and stabilize those areas.
1. Begin by positioning yourself on all fours.
2. Contract your abdominal muscles to help keep your back flat and straight.
3. Raise one leg upward behind you and straighten in outward.
4. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds.
5. Repeat the movement on your opposite side.
When you can perform this exercise 10 times with tolerable pain, you can add arm movement
with each leg extension:
1. Extend the arm (opposite side from the leg) upward and outward in front of your body.
2. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds.
3. Repeat on the opposite side.
4. Perform this exercise up to 10 times.
Leg and arm opposite stretch can help strengthen your
abdominal muscles, low back and stabilize those areas.
123RF.com
Furthermore, exercise causes your body to release endorphins—hormones that interact with
pain receptors in the brain that can reduce perception of pain.
Can Exercising With Sciatica Hurt Me?
We urge you not to perform any of these exercises without obtaining your doctor’s advice first.
Whatever your level of fitness, remember that even the best trained professional athletes
exercise under the guidance of their doctor, physical therapist, or other healthcare expert.
There are different disorders related to degenerative disc disease that can cause sciatic nerve
compression and sciatica. Obtaining an accurate diagnosis—what is the exact cause of your
sciatic pain?—is an essential answer needed before considering any exercise program.
Keep your expectations about resolving sciatica reasonable. Be gentle with your spine, don’t
push yourself hard while doing the exercises to avoid exacerbating your sciatic pain or creating
a new injury. If exercise increases your pain and/or causes nerve-related symptoms such as
weakness, tingling sensations or numbness, stop and contact your doctor immediately.
This article was originally published October 28, 2009 and most recently updated March 25, 2020.
© 2024 HealthCentral LLC. All rights reserved.
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What Exercises Help Reduce Sciatic Nerve Pain?

Pelvic tilts can help strengthen the lower abdominal

Knee to chest exercise may help reduce nerve

Lower Trunk Rotations

Purpose: To increase your spine’s mobility and flexibility.

All Fours Opposite Arm and Leg Extensions

Can Exercising With Sciatica Hurt Me?

More Like This

Fitness and Exercise

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