Shooting Nerve Pain in the Leg? 4 Exercises for Sciatica Relief

If you have ever experienced shooting pains in the leg, you know how sciatica feels. This condition can cause stabbing pain to be felt from the buttocks down to the toes. Usually, a sciatica sufferer will only feel that type of stabbing pain on one side of the body, but both sides can be affected simultaneously.

When you have a flare-up, it can be bad enough to be close to debilitating, and it’s always troublesome at the very least. In extreme cases, surgery might be a consideration. Before you get to that point, you should seriously consider chiropractic care, which is notably effective at quieting the effects of sciatica. Below are some home remedies and exercises you can use to combat an episode of sciatica. So you can resume your normal daily activities and stop focusing on leg pain.

man stretching hip flexor for sciatica relief
hip flexor stretch for sciatica relief

Piriformis Stretch

Start from a position where you’re lying on your back, with your knees bent at 45 degrees. Then lift your right foot, moving your right ankle over your left knee. Pull the left leg inward towards your chest while keeping your right leg in place over the left knee. Hold this position for a full 30 seconds before releasing. Do at least two repetitions to get the maximum benefit of this stretch.

Foam roller exercises

First, you need to sit on the floor and place a foam roller underneath your thighs. Then begin moving your body so that your buttocks and legs are rolling back and forth over the top of the roller. Then lie on your side with the foam roller beneath you, and roll out your calf muscles and outer thighs. After this, adopt a position where you’re lying on your stomach while the roller is under your thighs. From here, roll from the top of your hips down to the top of your knees. Each position should be rolled for 60 seconds before stopping and then repeating the roll.

Leg and arm lift

Get down on your hands and knees, with your back straight and your abdominal muscles tightened. Now lift the opposite arm and leg into the air and hold it there for five seconds. Repeat the lift with the opposite arm and leg, and continue alternating these lifts for two minutes. If you feel comfortable repeating this movement several more times, feel free to add some more time to your repetition.

Hip flexor stretch

Kneel on one knee such that your hip is behind that knee. Keep your back straight, move your body forward, and stop when you feel a stretching sensation in your upper thigh. Once you feel this stretching take place, hold it for 30 seconds. Then repeat the exercise on the other side of your body. You can do as many repetitions as you feel comfortable.

After completing several of these stretching exercises, your sciatica should have subsided. You should now be in a much better frame of mind.

If you have been suffering from sciatica for a while or these exercises don’t relieve your pain, give us a call or use our online form to schedule an appointment.

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