How do you know when you have sciatic nerve pain! If you feel pain from your lower back to behind the thighs spreading down below your knees, you might be suffering from sciatica. Sciatica can be understood as the pain and sometimes numbness as well as weakness which spreads along the sciatic nerve.

SCIATIC NERVE PAIN EXERCISES

The sciatic pain exercises that are mentioned here strengthen your abdominal and back muscles so that you are able to get good support for your back and relieve back pain due to sciatic nerve. These can be called strengthening exercises for sciatic pain. You should also do some stretching exercises to release your tight muscles and make them flexible. You will also know certain sciatic nerve stretches in this article to help yourself get relieved from sciatic pain. However, always do exercises after consulting your doctor. He may also suggest you some specific sciatic nerve exercises based on the diagnosis of your condition.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SCIATIC NERVE EXERCISES

  • Don’t begin exercising when you are experiencing a sciatic pain flare up or acute back pain episode. First consult your physician or a spine specialist before starting exercises.
  • Make exercising your habit. Do these exercises daily and not just till the time you relieve your pain. If you can’t do them daily, at least do these exercises 4 days a week. This will prevent any future flare up.

EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN ABDOMINAL MUSCLES

1. PELVIC TILT

  • Lie on your back on the floor.
  • Bend your knees by bringing your feet a little towards your hips.
  • Keep your feet parallel and arms to your side
  • Tighten your lower abdominal muscles by pulling your navel and lower back toward the floor in an attempt to flatten your back. Do not use your buttocks or leg muscles.
  • Hold this position for five seconds
  • Repeat for 5-10 times.

2. CURL YOUR TRUNK

  • Lie on the floor, on your back.
  • Bend your knees by bringing your feet towards your hips.
  • Keep your arms crossed on your chest.
  • Now using your upper abdominal muscles, lift your body trunk slightly off the floor.
  • Do not raise the head or neck; you need to raise only your chest to about 15 degrees.
  • Hold the position for 5 seconds
  • Lower your trunk slowly to the floor.
  • Repeat 5-10 times.

3. LIFT YOUR LEGS UNDER WATER

  • Stand inside swimming pool, close to its side wall holding the edge with your hand.
  • Raise one of your legs slowly to the front. Keep it straight.
  • Now lower down slowly to bring it to its starting position.
  • Repeat with the other leg.
  • Do five times each with both the legs.

4. SIT-UPS WITH EXERCISE BALLS

  • Take an exercise ball.
  • Sit on this ball while keeping feet flat on the floor and arms straight overhead.
  • Now lean back, flexing at your hips and pointing your toes towards the ground.
  • Hold the position for 5 seconds
  • Now sit up slowly while bringing your heels back to the ground.
  • Repeat 5-10 times.

Source: http://healthyhouseideas.com