Yesterday I wrote that I would post two stretches for sciatica. This one turned out a little long, so I’ll post the other stretch tomorrow.
Sciatica is one of the most common back pain complaints. It can be treated in a number of ways that can help, and in a few ways that can cure. Here are a couple of stretches that help some people.
Not everyone will find back pain relief with this stretch, but it will help some people. This makes it well worth trying.
This stretch can be a little hard on the knee. Pay close attention to your knee when doing it. If it hurts at all, stop. There is a modification following that can allow you to go a little deeper into it.
We’ll explore this stretch on the right side. It is a good idea to stretch both sides, but you mainly need to do it on the side that has the pain.
Start by sitting on the floor with both legs extended. Shift your weight to the left by lifting your right hip off the floor. Use your left hand for support.
Next, bend your right knee so your foot is out to the right side with the angle between the thigh and lower leg at ninety degrees.
Sciatica Stretch part 1
Here’s the part that can be hard on the knee. Slowly let your right hip down until you feel the stretch or until it starts to hurt. Remember to avoid pain.
Sciatica Stretch part 2
Modification For Knee Pain
If there is pain in the knee, back off away from the pain. Use one hand on your upper thigh to rotate the leg inward, and the other hand on the lower leg to rotate it outward and let the right hip down again.
Sciatica Stretch part 3
Note: If you’re not sure which direction is which, try both rotating the upper leg one way and the lower leg the other way until you find the direction that allows you to go deeper without pain in the knee. For some people this still won’t be possible. It is much more important to keep from hurting your knee than to find the stretch.
