- There are no miracle stretches for sciatica. These stretches are commonly performed by high school physical education classes as well as professional athletes. They are the hamstring stretch, the piriformis stretch, the psoas stretch, pelvic stretch, hip stretch and lumbar extension.
The hamstring stretch is performed while lying on your back. Holding the back of your leg, lift your knee until it is perpendicular to the ground. Once in this position, straighten your legs.
The piriformis stretch is also done lying on your back as you hold the left thigh while bringing the knee to your chest.
The psoas stretch is similar to this move, but instead of holding your thigh, grasp your knee as close to your chest as possible.
The pelvic stretch is also done on your back. With your arms folded at your chest, lift your buttocks.
The hip stretch is best done lying on a bench or the edge of a bed where your knees can drop lower than your buttocks. Hold your knees to your chest and then release one until you feel the stretch in your hip. - When it comes to sciatica, not all exercises are equal. There are movements and exercises that will cause your sciatica to flare up, which means there is more compression on the nerve, resulting in more pain.
Do NOT stand and touch your toes if you have sciatica. Do NOT do a hamstring stretch in which you are sitting up instead of lying on your back. Do NOT do sit-ups in which your legs are extended straight, but abdominal curls are all right to do if you have sciatica. - Tai chi includes a move in the warmup routine that releases the back. The move looks like a squat but does not go as deep as a squat does. These knee bends are performed while standing with your legs hip-width apart and your toes slightly pointed outward. Squat as if you are putting your buttocks on an imaginary stool and rise back up. As part of a martial arts warmup, students do these to music to release tension in the hips and back.