Let's dive into common and effeictive core exercises for sciatica pain relief. Remember, sciatica can be caused by a few things. Take this quiz to figure out your potential cause and some tips to feel better today!
If you are looking for some core exercises you can start today, you're in the right place. It's important to remember that your core is more than your abs. It's everything below your neck and above your hips, front and back. Don't expect these exercises to cause a direct core muscle burn, but do expect they will reduce your pain and build your strength.
It's about working smarter, not harder.
Four Core Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief and Building Strength
Walking
A recent comprehensive review by Fairag et al. (2022) on sciatica risk factors, prevention strategies, and treatment options highlights walking as an effective exercise for relieving sciatica symptoms.
Walking is a simple and accessible way to get moving, even when you're in pain. Unlike many other forms of exercise, it requires no equipment and only a small time commitment. Starting with just one minute at a time, several times a day, can still provide noticeable benefits.
Let your symptoms guide you. If your pain starts to increase or move farther down your leg, that’s a sign to take a break. As your tolerance improves, aim to walk for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, a few days a week.
Walking improves blood flow to muscles and nerves, supports healing, enhances nerve mobility, and helps engage the core muscles that support your spine. You may also find that walking feels better than sitting or staying in one position for too long, making it a simple and effective way to feel better.
I discuss a detailed walking program in my book, Revision Sciatica.
Bridge
If you like efficiency, this exercise will deliver great benefits in a small amount of time. The bridge exercise and its many variations, not only effectively strengthen your glutes, but also engage your spine stabilizing core muscles, your hamstrings, and improve nerve mobility so they check all the boxes.
- Lie on the floor or a firm bed (you don't want the surface to be too soft) with your knees bent and feet resting on the floor/bed.
- Brace your abdominals and while keeping your lower back in a neutral position, squeeze and lift your buttocks off the floor to a comfortable height. Hold the squeeze on top for a few seconds and slowly return to starting position.
- Repeat 10-12 reps for 2-3 sets, a few times per week.
Note: Avoid arching your lower back as a compensation when performing this movement. The majority of the tension and fatigue should be felt in the glutes, not the lower back.
Unilateral Bridge with Straight Leg Raise (Sciatic Nerve Mobility)
Pradhan and J (2024) examined the effects of nerve glides combined with conventional exercises on sciatica patients and found them to significantly reduce pain and improve health-related quality of life.
- Starting position is the same as for the bridge exercise
- Lift buttocks up off the floor to a comfortable height by squeezing your buttocks and lifting your pelvis up. Brace your abdominals to maintain a neutral spine position with no excessive arching in the lower back during this movement.
- While in the bridge position, lift one foot off the floor and straighten the leg at the knee. While in this position it is important to keep your pelvis leveled and not let either side drop toward the floor.
- Move your straight leg up and down to perform straight leg raises.
- While performing the straight leg raise, flex your ankle and pull your toes towards your face, then relax your ankle and toes down as you lower the leg.
- Perform 10-12 reps for 2-3 sets for each leg, a few times per week.
Note: Mild intermittent tingling in the back of the leg is ok, but you don't want any significant increase in symptoms during or after the exercise.
RDL (Single Leg Romanian Deadlift)
This exercise is a game changer for sciatica pain. It is a powerful combined movement, which strengthens your back, your glutes, your core and your balance, while simultaneously improving sciatic nerve mobility.
- Stand on one leg with a slightly bent knee while holding onto a sturdy surface ( kitchen counter or a door frame)
- While maintaining your lower back straight and hinging from the hip, begin to slowly bend forward until you feel tension in your hamstrings. Allow the other leg to extend and lift up behind you, and make sure you do not let the hips open up, preventing any rotation in the spine.
- Return slowly to an upright position.
- Repeat 10-12 reps on each leg for 2-3 sets, a few times per week.
Can a Weak Core Cause Sciatica Pain?
Weak core muscles aren’t a direct cause of sciatica pain, but they do play an important indirect role. Core muscles are essential for maintaining spinal stability while moving. What 10 years of PT has taught me is that while pain sucks, especially back pain, a stronger more resilient human has less risk of being in pain. So with my patients, we include core strengthening, upper body, lower body, and more to make sure you get better and feel better.
Do Core Exercises Help With Sciatica?
The short answer is a resounding, Yes! Sciatica is often caused by lumbar disc herniations, spinal stenosis or muscle imbalances that cause compression of the sciatic nerve, and core strengthening plays an important role in addressing these underlying issues.
Yes, core exercises help but is about when, what, and how much.
I go over this in great detail in my book!
What Muscles to Strengthen for Sciatica?
The key muscles to strengthen to relieve sciatica pain are the muscles which contribute in some way to the nerve's irritation and there are two ways to consider them. This is often the glutes an hamstrings.
Exercises such as walking, bridges and RDLs all target all these muscle groups and effectively strengthen them to support the spine and reduce the risk of sciatic nerve compression.
Summary
Four key exercises, walking, bilateral bridges, unilateral bridges with leg raises, and single-leg Romanian deadlifts, can help relieve sciatica pain by improving strength, stability, and nerve mobility. These movements target essential muscle groups like the core, glutes, and hamstrings, which support the spine and reduce nerve compression. Strengthening these areas promotes better posture, spinal alignment, and long-term relief. While weak core muscles aren’t the direct cause of sciatica, they play a major role in its development and recovery.
Let's dive into common and effeictive core exercises for sciatica pain relief. Remember, sciatica can be caused by a few things. Take this quiz to figure out your potential cause and some tips to feel better today!
If you are looking for some core exercises you can start today, you're in the right place. It's important to remember that your core is more than your abs. It's everything below your neck and above your hips, front and back. Don't expect these exercises to cause a direct core muscle burn, but do expect they will reduce your pain and build your strength.
It's about working smarter, not harder.
Four Core Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief and Building Strength
Walking
A recent comprehensive review by Fairag et al. (2022) on sciatica risk factors, prevention strategies, and treatment options highlights walking as an effective exercise for relieving sciatica symptoms.
Walking is a simple and accessible way to get moving, even when you're in pain. Unlike many other forms of exercise, it requires no equipment and only a small time commitment. Starting with just one minute at a time, several times a day, can still provide noticeable benefits.
Let your symptoms guide you. If your pain starts to increase or move farther down your leg, that’s a sign to take a break. As your tolerance improves, aim to walk for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, a few days a week.
Walking improves blood flow to muscles and nerves, supports healing, enhances nerve mobility, and helps engage the core muscles that support your spine. You may also find that walking feels better than sitting or staying in one position for too long, making it a simple and effective way to feel better.
I discuss a detailed walking program in my book, Revision Sciatica.
Bridge
If you like efficiency, this exercise will deliver great benefits in a small amount of time. The bridge exercise and its many variations, not only effectively strengthen your glutes, but also engage your spine stabilizing core muscles, your hamstrings, and improve nerve mobility so they check all the boxes.
- Lie on the floor or a firm bed (you don't want the surface to be too soft) with your knees bent and feet resting on the floor/bed.
- Brace your abdominals and while keeping your lower back in a neutral position, squeeze and lift your buttocks off the floor to a comfortable height. Hold the squeeze on top for a few seconds and slowly return to starting position.
- Repeat 10-12 reps for 2-3 sets, a few times per week.
Note: Avoid arching your lower back as a compensation when performing this movement. The majority of the tension and fatigue should be felt in the glutes, not the lower back.
Unilateral Bridge with Straight Leg Raise (Sciatic Nerve Mobility)
Pradhan and J (2024) examined the effects of nerve glides combined with conventional exercises on sciatica patients and found them to significantly reduce pain and improve health-related quality of life.
- Starting position is the same as for the bridge exercise
- Lift buttocks up off the floor to a comfortable height by squeezing your buttocks and lifting your pelvis up. Brace your abdominals to maintain a neutral spine position with no excessive arching in the lower back during this movement.
- While in the bridge position, lift one foot off the floor and straighten the leg at the knee. While in this position it is important to keep your pelvis leveled and not let either side drop toward the floor.
- Move your straight leg up and down to perform straight leg raises.
- While performing the straight leg raise, flex your ankle and pull your toes towards your face, then relax your ankle and toes down as you lower the leg.
- Perform 10-12 reps for 2-3 sets for each leg, a few times per week.
Note: Mild intermittent tingling in the back of the leg is ok, but you don't want any significant increase in symptoms during or after the exercise.
RDL (Single Leg Romanian Deadlift)
This exercise is a game changer for sciatica pain. It is a powerful combined movement, which strengthens your back, your glutes, your core and your balance, while simultaneously improving sciatic nerve mobility.
- Stand on one leg with a slightly bent knee while holding onto a sturdy surface ( kitchen counter or a door frame)
- While maintaining your lower back straight and hinging from the hip, begin to slowly bend forward until you feel tension in your hamstrings. Allow the other leg to extend and lift up behind you, and make sure you do not let the hips open up, preventing any rotation in the spine.
- Return slowly to an upright position.
- Repeat 10-12 reps on each leg for 2-3 sets, a few times per week.
Can a Weak Core Cause Sciatica Pain?
Weak core muscles aren’t a direct cause of sciatica pain, but they do play an important indirect role. Core muscles are essential for maintaining spinal stability while moving. What 10 years of PT has taught me is that while pain sucks, especially back pain, a stronger more resilient human has less risk of being in pain. So with my patients, we include core strengthening, upper body, lower body, and more to make sure you get better and feel better.
Do Core Exercises Help With Sciatica?
The short answer is a resounding, Yes! Sciatica is often caused by lumbar disc herniations, spinal stenosis or muscle imbalances that cause compression of the sciatic nerve, and core strengthening plays an important role in addressing these underlying issues.
Yes, core exercises help but is about when, what, and how much.
I go over this in great detail in my book!
What Muscles to Strengthen for Sciatica?
The key muscles to strengthen to relieve sciatica pain are the muscles which contribute in some way to the nerve's irritation and there are two ways to consider them. This is often the glutes an hamstrings.
Exercises such as walking, bridges and RDLs all target all these muscle groups and effectively strengthen them to support the spine and reduce the risk of sciatic nerve compression.
Summary
Four key exercises, walking, bilateral bridges, unilateral bridges with leg raises, and single-leg Romanian deadlifts, can help relieve sciatica pain by improving strength, stability, and nerve mobility. These movements target essential muscle groups like the core, glutes, and hamstrings, which support the spine and reduce nerve compression. Strengthening these areas promotes better posture, spinal alignment, and long-term relief. While weak core muscles aren’t the direct cause of sciatica, they play a major role in its development and recovery.
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