Sciatica pain appears due to certain injury, spinal stenosis, or ruptured disk. It causes terrible and unbearable pain in the sciatic nerve. If you experience such pain, you should check your hips and lower back immediately.
According to Dr. Kovach, what is very useful in such cases is a stretch that involves hip rotation. Because of the fact that sciatic nerve connects to the spine and femur, the pain stretches to the lower limb and feet.
Sciatic nerve pain affects more than 40% of the population worldwide at certain point in their life. In order to treat it, most of the time people rely on prescribed medications such as ketoprofen, aspirin, relaxants, antidepressants, and acetaminophen. Most of them cause side-effects and can damage our health. Therefore, if you want to relive the pain in a natural way, you should try the following piriformis exercises:
Supine Piriformis Side Stretch –
Lie on the ground with straight back and flat legs. Then, lift the painful leg and put it on the outer part of the other leg. Next, drag your knee across the middle line of the body. Stay like that for 30 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.
Standing Piriformis Stretch –
While standing, lift the affected leg above the other leg’s knee. Lower your hips and bend your torso upfront. By so doing, stretch your arms to align them with the floor. Stay like that for 30 seconds and then repeat with the other leg.
McKenzie Press Up –
Lie on the ground facing the floor. Rest the head on both sides for 2 minutes and lean on your elbows. To relax, inhale and lower your body.
Long Abductor Stretch –
Sit down and have your legs far apart. Bend the body and put your hands on the ground. Stay in this position for 20 seconds.
Supine Piriformis Stretch –
Lie down on the floor and bend your knees. Then, cross the painful leg while holding its ankle with your hand. Hold the other knee with the other hand. Next, draw upfront the shoulder and stay like that for 30 seconds.
Short Adductor Stretch –
Sit down and have your legs wide apart in front of you. Put the right hand on the left ankle and the left hand on the right one. Push down your knees and stay like that for 30 seconds.
Hip Extension –
Put your hands and knees on the ground. Then, lift the painful leg and keep the knee tilt. Next, lower it again. Make 15 repetitions.
Bottom Stretch for the Piriformis Muscle –
On all fours, curl the painful foot in the direction of your shoulder. Try to touch the floor with your forehead. Push your hips towards the floor and stretch with the other leg. Stay like that for 30 seconds. Make 3 repetitions.
Outer Hip Piriformis Stretch –
Lie down on the ground and bend the painful leg. Then, put both of your feet close to the other leg’s knee. Next, curl the leg to the opposite direction while trying to touch the ground with the knee. Then, stretch your left leg and put your right hand on the knee. Try to touch the ground with your shoulder. Stay in this position for 20 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.
Side-Lying Clam –
Lie on the painful side and tilt both of your legs back by creating an L shape. Make your feet parallel to each other. Lift the top knee and hold for 30 seconds. Make 15 repetitions.
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