Do not be misled into thinking that you have been given a diagnosis if someone has told you you are suffering with 'sciatica'. The term sciatica is only a descriptive one. If you had pains in your head, I take it you would not be fooled into thinking you were being diagnosed as having a 'headache', yet this is exactly the same as being told you have sciatica i.e. you are suffering with pain down the back of your leg which is a result of the sciatic nerve being irritated. If you are looking for exercise for your sciatica, you need to find the cause of it first.



The sciatic nerve originates from the spinal cord at the bottom of your back and then passes through the buttock region and down the back of the leg. It actually stops being called the sciatic nerve from the back of the knee, as it gives branches at this point to other nerves. However, it is accepted that any pain down the leg to as far as the toes, as long as it is a result sciatic nerve irritation, is referred to as sciatica

Getting back to the aim of this article i.e. exercises for Sciatica, as I mentioned above, this will all depend upon the true cause of the problem itself.

Typically, your sciatica will have one of three causes:

1) Disc Prolapse.

This is not as bad as it may initially seem. This problem arises typically when there are too many flexion based forces across the lower back and therefore the discs of the lumbar spine begin to bulge. This bulge then presses on the sciatic nerve and subsequently pain is often felt. If this is the cause of your sciatic pain, as a rule of thumb, extension based exercises would be the main principle of your treatment. This may involve lying on your stomach, with or without a pillow underneath, little and often throughout the day. You would then increasing the degree of extension as your pain improves.

2) Facet Joint Compression.

At the back of each lumbar vertebrae are the facet joints, these articulate with each other every time our back moves. Unfortunately, they can irritate the sciatica nerve, especially if they begin to pinch on the nerve roots which make up the sciatic nerve. If this was the case, an exercise programme which is almost the opposite to the one given for a disc prolapse would be given. To begin with this would include exercises such as hugging your knees to your chest while lying on the floor, or sitting back onto your knees while on all fours.

3) Tight Muscles.

It usually tends to be a tight Piriformis muscle or Hamstring muscles which are responsible here. As the sciatic nerve passes down through the buttock area and on down the back of the leg, it passes through or underneath both the Piriformis muscle and the Hamstrings. Therefore, if either of these are tight, they will need to be stretched out, as they will be placing inappropriate stretches across the sciatic nerve, leading to pain.

Whether it is the Piriformis muscle, the Hamstrings or any other muscle for that matter, it is always essential you start off nice & gently with regards to any stretching exercises. As you progress, you will notice that the stretches get a lot easier. Only then should you consider advancing to more aggressive stretches.

I cannot over emphasise that it is the cause of your sciatica which needs to be addressed with regards to an exercise programme, not just the fact that you have sciatica.

More often than not, it is tight & weak muscles i.e. muscle imbalance, which is one of the biggest causes of sciatica. Any muscle imbalance present will be placing increased stresses across the sciatic nerve, potentially leading to pain.

The aim of treatment in these circumstances is to stretch and strengthen the appropriate muscles. Although in this article I have only discussed movement or stretching exercises, it is likely there is weakness as well as tightness present. In such circumstances, it is important strengthening exercises are also performed.