Stretching exercises for your sciatica

Sciatica can be a painful lower back condition, but there are many physical therapies designed to help treat it. For instance, there are stretching exercises that can help your sciatica, but you may not know which ones are the best for you. Luckily, there’s a physical therapy team that can help you find the most effective sciatica treatment for you.

At Advent Physical Therapy, our team has been providing high-quality physical therapy in west Michigan for more than 20 years. During that time, we’ve gathered a wealth of experience working with patients to treat many types of injuries and medical conditions. One reason our treatments are so effective is we recognize that every patient is unique.

This is why we’ll make time to listen to your therapy goals and questions. Our team will then use this information along with our knowledge of evidence-based therapies to build you a personalized treatment plan. One therapy method our sciatica treatment plan typically includes is various helpful stretching exercises.

Three helpful sciatica stretching exercises

Sciatica is a condition that affects one of the sciatic nerves. These nerves are the longest in the body, and they run from your lower back, across the buttocks and down the back of the legs. It is quite common for issues like herniated discs or muscle imbalances to cause a sciatic nerve to be pinched. This pinching results in pain and other symptoms, and these symptoms are commonly treated with sciatica stretching exercises and other physical therapies.

One stretch that can help your sciatica is the pelvic tilt. This stretch is designed to strengthen your abs and stretch the low back. To perform this stretch, you’ll first want to lie down on your back on the floor. If you need extra padding, you can lie on a yoga mat. Once you’re comfortable on your back, exhale and tighten your abs. Push your belly button toward the floor and flatten your lower back as you tighten your abs. Try to hold this position for three to five seconds, and then return to the start position. Repeat this stretch eight to 10 times.

A second stretch that’s often used to help sciatica patients is the knee-to-chest stretch, and it includes movements that can help reduce compression on your sciatic nerve. For this stretch, lie on your back, and bend your right knee so your foot is flat on the floor. Then, link your hands on your knee and gently pull the bent knee toward your chest. Hold the knee in this position for five to 10 seconds. Repeat these steps for your left knee. You’ll want to try doing this stretch three to five times for each knee, but go slowly at first. The goal is to stretch, not cause yourself more pain.

In addition to stretching exercises like these, our Advent Physical Therapy team may also use other therapies in your sciatica treatment plan, including:

• Electrical stimulation
• Thermotherapy
• Iontophoresis
• Low-impact cardio
• Manual therapy

Are you ready to find a physical therapy treatment plan that uses the best sciatica exercises and other therapies? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.