If you experience pain in one leg from the hip downward, it can be sciatica pain that emanates along the path of the sciatic nerve that runs through the legs after branching out from the lower back. If the pain manifests in only one leg, then it is a sure sign of sciatica pain.
Sciatica pain can be treated with non-surgical procedures like visiting Dr Dan Phyx Me, who can recommend some physical therapy. Pain-healing physical therapy consists of exercises and other therapeutic remedies that heal muscle and joint stiffness. The sciatica nerve is one of the longest nerves of the body, and the extent of pain depends upon the location of the pressure point where the nerve undergoes maximum compression.
Exercises that are effective in curing sciatica pain
Physiotherapists recommend different exercises for sciatica pain relief, and the most common ones that people can practice easily at home are described here.
Knee to Chest
Lie on your back with feet flat on the floor and bend your knees while keeping the torso or upper part of the body relaxed. First, bend one knee and grasp it with both hands and draw it close to your chest. Keep pressing down the knee until you start feeling uncomfortable, and if it starts paining, you must stop there immediately. Hold the position for 20-30 seconds with controlled deep breathing. Repeat the exercise 5 times for each knee and gradually go up to 10 times. You can also try another variant of the exercise by grasping both knees together. Keep the upper part of the body relaxed when you are exercising.
Piriformis Stretch
Lie on the back and keep the upper body relaxed. Bend both knees and lie down flat on the floor. Begin the exercise by crossing your right foot in front of the left knee. Grasp the left thigh with your hands and pull it toward your chest. As you pull the thigh, you will feel a stretch on the right buttock. Hold the position while breathing deeply for 20-30 seconds. When completed, repeat the same set of exercises for the left foot and right knee. Start with 2-3 sets for each leg, and as you feel the legs gaining flexibility, you can increase it to 7-8 sets. Ensure that the tailbone rests on the floor when you are exercising.
Cat and Camel
Rest on all four limbs, bend the knees at a right angle on the floor under the hips and place the hands firmly on the ground under the shoulder and keep the head straight. Move onto the cat position: exhale, raise your head and push your hip upwards to create an arch in your back that resembles the posture of an angry cat. Lower the belly and point the chin toward the ceiling. Follow that up with the camel pose: inhale and try to bring the pelvis close to your head, curving your back while creating a hollow in the abdomen. Continue the movements slowly and stop whenever you feel pain. Do five sets of 5 seconds each.
