_{^{Sciatica stretches.}}

Sciatica stretches are some of the simplest ways you can bring relief for your sciatic pain. In actual fact I’m just writing this after coming in from a 2 mile walk and I could feel some discomfort in my left butt cheek. As soon as I got home I stood at the bottom of the stairs and raised my left leg up on to the 3^rd step (a chair/table/wall is also fine) and slowly bent forward to gently stretch out the discomfort, worked straight away!

_{^{What are the benefits of stretching for sciatica?}}

_{^{What are the best stretches for my sciatica?}}

It would be irresponsible of me to give advice on the best stretches for you without knowing your individual circumstances. So many things need to be taken into account including:

1. How old you are
2. Your weight and build
3. How fit and flexible you are
4. The last time you actually stretched!

Do some research on the internet for stretches in your age range/fitness level/build i.e. best stretches for 40-year-old, best stretches for tall person, best stretches for beginner etc.

On the NHS website you can find some great stretching exercises for sciatica as a starting point.

_{^{A few of my favourite sciatic stretches* are the simple ones:}}

• Crouch downs. Standing with legs about hip width apart and feet pointing at 10 to 2 slowly bend your knees and lower yourself down onto your feet, keep your feet flat on the floor and your head looking straight ahead. Push your bottom out as far as comfortable. As you lower yourself raise your arms straight out in front of you up to eye level. At the beginning hold each stretch for 10 seconds (increasing to 30secs). Slowly raise yourself back up and bring your arms down, repeat. After a few of these as you next crouch down allow yourself to roll up onto the toes of your feet, drop your arms down between your knees and touch the ground in front of you, take it easy, push your bottom out and slowly tilt your head down so your chin presses into your chest. You should really feel this stretch opening up space in your lower vertebrae (lumbar region) hold for 30 secs to a minute.

I used to love a simpler variation on the crouch down stretch when I was ever feeling pain when out and about. I’d get my phone out of my pocket and crouch down with my back against a wall or against a shop front! All of a sudden I wasn’t a weirdo doing sciatic back exercises out in public – I was a bloke crouching down answering a text while waiting for a bus/waiting in a queue/waiting for his wife to come out of a shop!  

• Knee hugs. Lie straight down on your back (preferably on a gym/yoga mat) bend your legs and bring your knees up over your hip area and hold them with your arms, slowly pull your knees apart and up towards your chest area as far as comfortable, again take it easy. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute, repeat. It’s also great to slowly rotate your lower back clockwise then anti clockwise. 

• Knee twists. From that same lying start position as above. Keep your feet together and bring your heels straight back towards your bottom so your knees move up and point at the ceiling, keep your feet flat on the floor. While keeping your head looking straight up and back flat on the floor slowly rotate your knees (without rotating your back) to one side then the other as far as comfortable, after 20 or so side to sides start to then hold the stretch at the end of a rotation for 10 seconds increasing to 30 secs then up to a minute.  

_{^{Some dos and don’ts for stretching.}}

1. Never make your first stretch a full one
2. Always do a few half stretches first to prepare your body
3. Start with easier stretches first before moving to more advanced ones
4. Try and get into a daily routine of doing a few stretches whenever possible
5. At first hold stretches for only a few seconds increasing to 30 seconds then eventually holding a stretch for at least a minute
6. Hold a stretch for a few seconds, breathe in and then gently deepen the stretch as you breathe out
7. Never over stretch at the beginning of your stretching workout. Always gently build up to a full stretch
8. Never “bounce” into and out of a stretch
9. Set a reminder on your phone say “hey google/siri set a reminder every day at 11am to stretch”. Voila!
10. Be aware of your body. If a stretch feels painful then stop!

_{^{What are the best sciatica stretching aids?}}

Here are some great aids to help you get into a daily stretching routine. Try and incorporate some sciatica stretches regularly throughout the day to help you beat your sciatic pain.

Highly recommended: HoMedics Stretch Mat

Highly recommended: Back Stretcher

Highly recommended: The Slumbar Back Stretcher

Highly recommended: HoMedics Stretch Mat XS

Highly recommended: Plantar Fasciitis/Achilles Tendonitis Resting Splint & Stretcher

Highly recommended: Luxury Gym/Yoga Mat

Highly recommended: Value Gym/Yoga Mat

Highly recommended: Professional Inversion Stretch Table

Highly recommended: Stretching for Beginners

Highly Recommended: Stretching Bands

Highly recommended: Yoga for Inflexible People

Highly recommended: The Pilates Bible

Something to aim for! FeetUp Trainer

If you have any tips on stretches that work great for sciatica then please get in touch with us here.

Please make sure you also check here for our page on exercising with sciatica.