Sciatica is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints that we see at The Medical Group of South Florida’s chiropractic department. Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg.
Typically, this condition affects one leg primarily and can also present with or without leg numbness. This condition can be very painful and debilitating and is also a leading cause of missed workdays each year. Sciatica is caused by compression, or literal pinching, of the nerves that exit out of your low back and travel into both legs.
Recent studies show that the most successful way to treat sciatica includes joint mobilization, mobilization, and release of the sciatic nerve itself. Nerve release may help resolve adhesions and restore normal mechanical function by “flossing” or mobilizing the affected nerves causing your symptoms.
In this video, we demonstrate a simple but effective way to perform this nerve mobilization technique with the following steps:
- Positioning: Begin in a side-lying position, with the affected or painful side up.
- Movement: Simultaneously extend the affected leg/flexing at the hip while extending your neck as if attempting the beginning of a “chin nod” motion, where your chin raises up away from your chest.
- Reset: Bring both the neck and the leg back to the neutral, or rest position. All movements should be pain-free!
- Repeat: We recommend performing 2 sets of 10 pain-free repetitions daily. This will provide a great sciatic nerve release or a sciatic nerve floss, that is both easy to perform and effective at reducing pain.
As always, we advise consulting a physician for a thorough evaluation before beginning any condition-specific self-treatment or exercise program. If you have any questions regarding these exercises, sciatica, or want advice regarding another musculoskeletal condition, schedule a consultation with one of our chiropractic physicians or call 561-622-6111 to find out more information.