| Do you have pain/soreness in your lower back? | | | | There is one simple sciatic nerve stretch that |
| Or perhaps you have shooting pains down your | | | | many people report immediate benefit from. For |
| leg that makes it difficult to walk? Many people | | | | this stretch, you need to lie on the floor on your |
| with these conditions also complain of tingling and | | | | back. Lift your affected leg and cross it over |
| numbness in their buttocks and leg (or legs). | | | | your other leg so that the back side of your |
| All of these are common symptoms of sciatica. | | | | affected knee is positioned on the other. Finally, |
| They result from a compression of the sciatic | | | | reach down and grab your knee on your good |
| nerve somewhere along its path. The sciatic | | | | side and pull it towards your chest so that your |
| nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It extends | | | | feet are off of the floor. The goal is to feel a |
| from the base of your spine through your hips | | | | good stretch. Don't do anything that hurts. Hold |
| and buttocks, and down the length of each leg. | | | | this position for a few seconds and then release. |
| The good news is that there are a series of | | | | Repeat this movement several times in sequence |
| sciatic nerve stretches that are designed to stop | | | | for a couple times a day and see if it helps the |
| the compression and relieve the discomfort. | | | | pain. |
| The difficult part of sciatica is that there are | | | | However, please remember that <b>treating |
| multiple points along the sciatic nerve that are | | | | the pain does not fix the problem</b>. |
| susceptible to compression. Your doctor can help | | | | The best sciatica treatment plans focus on |
| you determine where the trouble is. Your doctor | | | | identifying what are called physical dysfunctions |
| will most likely also prescribe pain relievers, | | | | and muscle imbalances. Almost everyone is |
| anti-inflammatory drugs, and probably some | | | | walking around with one or more of these |
| physical therapy as well. | | | | dysfunctions. Most people don't even realize it. |
| Quite frequently, the compression is at the base | | | | They are conditions that build up over time due |
| of the spine. A bulging or herniated disk can pinch | | | | to daily life, our work habits, sitting in front of a |
| the sciatic nerve in certain positions. Many other | | | | computer all day, etc. |
| conditions can also pinch the nerve in or near the | | | | When treating sciatica pain, it is very important to |
| spine. | | | | not just treat the pain but also to deal with these |
| Another point of compression involves your | | | | muscle imbalances. Otherwise, your sciatica |
| piriformis muscle deeper down in your hips. The | | | | symptoms will eventually return. In this situation, |
| piriformis muscle can cause the same symptoms | | | | removing the pain does not fix the problem. You |
| as spinal sciatica if it pinches the sciatic nerve. | | | | have to correct the deeper level imbalances that |
| Sciatic nerve stretches are frequently used to | | | | are creating all the problems in the first place. |
| treat both kinds of sciatica. The goal is to stretch | | | | A good sciatica treatment program will help you |
| and loosen the muscles that are causing the | | | | identify which muscle imbalances you have and |
| compression and irritation of the sciatic nerve. But | | | | then dictate a set of specific sciatic nerve |
| you have to be careful about choosing the proper | | | | stretches that are unique to you and your specific |
| stretches and exercises. Some may have no | | | | condition. |
| effect on your pain. Others could make it worse. | | | | |