Sciatica describes pain that radiates down the back of the thigh and into the lower leg. It may be caused by irritation of one or more of the lower spinal nerves. The ...6StretchesforSciaticaPainReliefMedicallyreviewedbyDanielBubnis,M.S.,NASM-CPT,NASELevelII-CSS—WrittenbyDavidHeitzandEricaCirinoonMay18,2020RecliningpigeonposeSittingpigeonposeForwardpigeonposeKneetooppositeshoulderSittingspinalstretchStandinghamstringstretchBesafeWeincludeproductswethinkareusefulforourreaders.Ifyoubuythroughlinksonthispage,wemayearnasmallcommission.Here’sourprocess.Whatisthesciaticnerve?Sciaticnervepaincanbesoexcruciatinganddebilitatingthatyoudon’tevenwanttogetoffthecouch.Commoncausesofsciaticacanincludearuptureddisk,anarrowingofthespinecanal(calledspinalstenosis),andinjury.CertifiedphysicaltherapistMindyMarantzsaysthatsciaticapaincanoccurforavarietyofreasons.Shesays,“Identifyingwhatdoesn’tmoveisthefirststeptowardsolvingtheproblem.”Often,themostproblematicbodypartsarethelowerbackandhips.Dr.MarkKovacs,acertifiedstrengthandconditioningspecialist,addsthatthebestwaytoalleviatemostsciaticapainistodo“anystretchthatcanexternallyrotatethehiptoprovidesomerelief.”Herearesixexercisesthatdojustthat:recliningpigeonposesittingpigeonposeforwardpigeonposekneetooppositeshouldersittingspinalstretchstandinghamstringstretch1.RecliningpigeonposePigeonposeisacommonyogapose.Itworkstoopenthehips.Therearemultipleversionsofthisstretch.Thefirstisastartingversionknownastherecliningpigeonpose.Ifyou’rejuststartingyourtreatment,youshouldtrytherecliningposefirst.Whileonyourback,bringyourrightleguptoarightangle.Claspbothhandsbehindthethigh,lockingyourfingers.Liftyourleftlegandplaceyourrightankleontopoftheleftknee.Holdthepositionforamoment.Thishelpsstretchthetinypiriformismuscle,whichsometimesbecomesinflamedandpressesagainstthesciaticnerve,causingpain.Dothesameexercisewiththeotherleg.Onceyoucandotherecliningversionwithoutpain,workwithyourphysicaltherapistonthesittingandforwardversionsofpigeonpose.Shopforyogamatsonlin