Back Pain Exercise: The Benefits of Stretching for Sciatica

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Back pain exercise that incorporates stretching is, perhaps, one of the most beneficial therapeutic activities you can do to treat sciatica. But… it’s gotta be the right exercise.

Stretching plays a role in most exercise routines, but its overall value is disputed among health care practitioners. Adequate flexibility (the ability of your muscles to lengthen or stretch) is widely accepted as the standard for athletic performance, but is often time overlooked in the treatment of back pain and its associated symptoms.

Many times a patient’s symptoms can be directly traced to poor muscle flexibility. A classic example of this, and one I see in the clinic every day, is sciatica pain.

Sciatica, or pain along the course of the sciatic nerve (the nerve that runs down the backside of the leg), is frequently thought to be the result of a herniated disc. While this would seem to make sense, the reality is that the sciatic symptoms, more often than not, can be traced directly to a lack of flexibility in the piriformis muscle.

The piriformis is a small, triangular shaped muscle that runs from the tail bone area to the hip. The significance of this tiny muscle as it relates to sciatica is that the sciatic nerve crosses over the muscle on its way down the leg. If the muscle is tight, it can affect the course of the nerve, resulting in increased friction. As this state of friction progresses, sciatic nerve irritation can ensue and ultimately cause the symptoms of sciatica.

To treat the condition successfully, you must specifically stretch the piriformis. You can read all about the best ways to stretch the piriformis along with other back pain exercise to treat sciatica in the Erase Your Back Pain program.

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Dedicated to Erasing Your Back Pain,