Top Exercises For Sciatica and Herniated Discs

A lot of people complain about shooting pains that radiate from their hip or pelvis down their leg which goes down the sciatic nerve.  It can cause shooting pain, numbness or the feeling that your leg is falling asleep.

Top Exercises For Sciatica and Herniated Discs

There are various stretches and exercises you can do to alleviate and manage your level of pain and discomfort.

The first exercise is to stretch the leg by sitting on a hair.  You want to raise one leg and hold it up for five seconds.  This is called flossing.  Then you will keep doing leg lifts with the affected leg.  You might feels some sensations down the leg while you are doing this but it should decrease.

Top Exercises For Sciatica and Herniated Discs

Top Exercises For Sciatica and Herniated Discs

Simple Ways To Feel Better

The next exercise you can do is to be sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you.  You might experience increased symptoms when you initially start doing this pose.  You are going to put your hands behind your head and then slump your arms and head forward.

You are going to hold this for 10 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.  Repeat four to five times. If this is too intense for you, you can also place your arms behind you on the floor and just lean back into your arms while keeping them straight.

Top Exercises For Sciatica and Herniated Discs –  What To Do If You Have Chronic Pain

If you feel your symptoms in your leg from sciatica it probably is originating in your low back. You can then of your nerve as a garden hose and when you pinch the hose at the end of the hose no water will come out.   So you need  to diagnose sciatica properly to determine if your low back, pelvis or sacroiliac joint (your tail-bone) is what is causing your sciatic pain.  So addressing the other end of the sciatic nerve is what you need to do.  You can see a physical therapist, massage therapist or doctor in order to properly diagnose what is causing the pain.

Top Exercises For Sciatica and Herniated Discs – How To Reduce Pain

Another pose you can do is to lay on the floor.  Put your legs up on a chair or even the couch and you will stay here prone on the floor for at least ten minutes.  You should start to feel less pain if you stay in this pose long enough.

Top Exercises For Sciatica and Herniated Discs –  How To Relieve Pain Through Poses and Stretches

If the person has pain symptoms due to a herniated disc then here are some exercises you can do.    This position is called prone prop which is great if you also have symptoms down your leg as well.  There are two variations depending on your level of pain.  You can be laying on your stomach and prop up on your elbows like a sphinx.  You can stay here for one minute.

You can lay on your stomach.  Put a pillow under your arms with your elbows out and your clasped hands under your chin.  Stay here for thirty seconds. Before getting up from both of these exercises, slowly  lift one leg a few inches off the surface, hold it for two seconds and slowly lower your leg to the surface.  Repeat four five times then repeat on your other leg.  This stretches the illiopsoas muscles.

Top Exercises For Sciatica and Herniated Discs – Relieve Pain Without Medication or Surgery

The next pose is laying on your stomach.  You will then have your arms on the floor with you elbows in line with your rib cage and your hands in front.  Then press into your arms and lift your head up looking straight in front of you.  You can do another variation where you arms are elbows are closet up near your head and then you lift up through your arms.