Sciatic nerve pain can be a debilitating condition that affects your mobility. It occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated or damaged, causing pain, tingling, and/or numbness in your back, buttock, or leg. Supine sciatic nerve gliding exercises can bring effective relief.
Physical therapy for sciatica is one of the services we offer here at JAG Physical Therapy. In this post, we’re going to share our knowledge with you on sciatic nerve pain relief, offering simple exercises you can do at home.
What Is Sciatic Nerve Pain?
Sciatic nerve pain covers a range of sensations that originate from the sciatic nerve. Strictly speaking, the sciatic nerve is a large nerve made up of smaller nerves. that reaches from the hip and buttock area down to the knee. For convenience, this bundle of nerves is referred to as a single nerve. You have one on each side of your body.
If the sciatic nerve gets injured, compressed, or irritated, it can result in symptoms including:
- Pain
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Muscle weakness
- In rare cases, urinary or fecal incontinence
These symptoms may affect your hips, buttocks, lower back, or legs.
What Are Supine Sciatic Nerve Gliding Exercises?
Supine sciatic nerve gliding exercises are targeted movements of the leg and hip. They’re designed to gently stretch the sciatic nerve.
When performed regularly, the exercises help to make the sciatic nerve more mobile. This increases range of movement and flexibility, alleviating many of the symptoms of sciatic nerve pain.
How Do Supine Sciatic Nerve Gliding Exercises Alleviate Pain?
Practicing sciatic nerve gliding exercises brings several benefits:
- Pain relief. The exercises relieve pain by easing inflammation and pressure around the nerve. They also stimulate blood flow and release endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.
- Enhanced nerve mobility. The movements help to relieve irritation and compression of the sciatic nerve. This, in turn, increases flexibility and mobility and helps to protect against further damage to the nerve.
- Healing. Sciatic nerve gliding exercises also stimulate natural healing by improving blood flow and oxygenation to the affected area.
Once you’ve been doing these exercises for a while, you should notice reduced pain levels and improved mobility and range of movement. The benefits of sciatic nerve gliding combined will help you get back to your previous fitness and activity levels.
How to Perform Supine Sciatic Nerve Gliding Exercises Safely?
Before you start supine sciatic nerve gliding exercises, make sure you warm up properly. You can do this by performing stretching exercises or walking for 5 to 10 minutes.
Get yourself into a comfortable position lying on your back before you start. If you feel uncomfortable or in pain while performing the exercises, adjust your position. Do not continue if pain persists.
Supine Sciatic Nerve Glide
1. Before you start, get into a lying position on your back with your legs straight out.
- Bend your knee on the affected side and grasp behind it using both hands.
- Straighten the knee.
- Move your ankle up and down a few times, feeling a gentle stretch behind your calf and knee.
- Lower your leg back down to the original bent position.
- Repeat the sequence 10 times.
Schedule an Appointment with JAG Physical Therapy
If you’ve been affected by the issues discussed in this article, turn to JAG Physical Therapy for sciatica pain relief. Our therapists have a wealth of experience in treating sciatica and can offer a personalized program to get you back to your previous vitality.
You can reach out to us via our contact form or schedule a consultation with one of our qualified and experienced specialists.
We look forward to welcoming you to one of our clinics near you!