Sciatica is a condition that can cause intense pain as a result of damage or pressure on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, running from the bottom of the spine, through the hip, down the leg, knee and to the ankle. Nerve damage is difficult to treat and the pain is hard to alleviate. However certain types of sciatica stretches which target the muscles and nerves can help with pain as well as target the cause of the nerve problems.
Sciatica stretches need to be done regularly. It is important to do the stretches as often and consistently as possible, to keep the muscles loose and thus your pain at bay. It is also recommended that you do five minutes of cardio to warm up your body, especially your legs where the sciatic nerve runs through to get the blood pumping in that area.
Stretching different muscles in the legs and lower back can improve pain resulting from sciatica. These include hamstring stretches, pelvic tilt, piriformis stretches, pulling your knee towards your chest, thigh stretches and lower back stretches.
Stretching your hamstring muscles can be done in various ways, targeting the muscle running down the back of your leg. When this muscle is too tight, it can hurt your back as it puts pressure on it which in turn can have an effect on the sciatic nerve. Sciatica stretches targeting the hamstrings can thus improve pain felt by sciatica. One of the ways you can stretch your hamstring is by lying on your back with one leg up, pulling it towards you slightly with a band or towel.
Sciatica stretches that target the piriformis muscle which crosses over the sciatic nerve deep inside the hip joint can also help relieve pain and improve sciatica. When the piriformis muscle is too tight, it could be choking the sciatic nerve. An example of a piriformis stretch would be to lie on your back and pull your one knee towards the chest on the opposite side.
The pelvic tilt, often used in Pilates, also targets the lower back muscles, strengthening them so that they do not put pressure on the sciatic nerve. It involves lying on your back with your knees bent and pushing your pelvis towards the roof, but slowly so that you roll upwards from the bottom of your spine. Doing this works like any sciatica exercises and done regularly can improve pain from sciatica.
Sciatica stretches that target your legs and thighs can also work as a great pain reliever. These limbs are used often during day to day activities like walking, which put pressure on the muscles. Stretching these muscles makes them more flexible and less likely to get injured or damaged. Sitting on the floor and trying to touch your toes is an example of how you can stretch your legs.
The benefits of sciatica stretches are vast, but the most important one is how it targets muscles and nerves, relieving pain felt by sciatica and other forms of neuralgia. Stretches like this also improve your range of motion making your muscles more flexible and taking pressure off the sciatic nerve, especially when the muscles in the lower back are targeted. When you are more flexible, you are less likely to maintain an injury resulting in damage to the nerves. It also helps with ischemia, when the muscles are not getting enough oxygen.
It takes some dedication, but sciatica stretches when done regularly can improve your sciatic condition. They are designed to target the cause of sciatic pain and when this cause is muscle tension or tightness as well as compression or ischemia, they can indeed relieve pain and strengthen the muscles around the sciatic nerve.
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