What is sciatica?
Sciatica is pain that radiates down the back of the leg. It can start in the lower back and radiate down into the butt, hamstring, and calf. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and originates in the low back and sacral nerve roots. It is the nerve that makes the hamstrings and groin muscles work. It provides sensation to the back of the leg, outside of the lower leg, and the bottom of the foot.
What causes sciatica pain?
Sciatica can be caused by a variety of reasons. Anything that puts pressure on the sciatic nerve can cause sciatic nerve pain. Sciatica can be caused by changes in the spine like spinal stenosis or herniated/ bulging discs or tension/tightness in the piriformis muscle (a muscle in the butt) or hamstrings.
Sciatica happens frequently during pregnancy because of the increased load on the muscles on the back side of the body that run over top of the sciatic nerve. When these muscles get tight, they put pressure on the sciatic nerve, which can cause sciatic nerve pain. Sciatica happens often in women who are not pregnant as well. We often find that these women have changes in breathing patterns, weakness in their glutes and cores, and stressful jobs and lives.
What stretches can you do for sciatica?
Stretches for the piriformis and hamstrings can often relieve sciatica pain for a short period of time. It’s important to remember that stretching does not get to the root cause and should not be used for long term relief.
Sciatica Stretches
If you’re experiencing sciatica because of tight muscles, a piriformis stretch and a hamstring stretch can be helpful.
Piriformis stretch for sciatic nerve pain
Lie flat on your back. Stretch the side that has sciatic nerve pain by bending the knee and bringing the outside of the ankle to rest on the opposite thigh. You can then bend the opposite leg and reach through to bring the leg closer to your chest. You want to feel a gentle stretch in the butt on the side that you have pain. You should not increase your pain with this stretch. The sciatic nerve pain should stay the same or reduce.
Hamstring stretch for sciatic nerve pain
Lie flat on your back. You can either use a strap or wall for this stretch. If you have a strap or belt, use it to pull your leg up in the air with a straight knee until you feel a gentle stretch on the back side of your leg. If you don’t have a strap, you can prop your painful leg up on a wall with your knee straight. You can intensify the stretch by bringing your butt closer to the wall, or reduce it by moving away from the wall. You should not increase your pain with this stretch. The sciatic nerve pain should stay the same or reduce.
How can you fix sciatica?
Long term, the solution first lies in getting to the root cause of your pain. This starts with an in depth evaluation of your movements, lifestyle, how well your muscles, joints, and bones function. Typically, we find that we need to make changes to: posture and body mechanics, breathing patterns, how they respond to stress, and improve the strength and coordination of their pelvic floor, abs, glutes, and ankles.
If you’re struggling with sciatica, book a free consultation with one of our Physical Therapists in Wexford, PA, Greensburg, PA, or virtually. We will help you get to the root cause and find solutions so you can enjoy life and movement again.
