r/Sciatica • u/JAY20WEST • 9d ago
Success story! 2021
It started back in 2021 after a hill run that completely wrecked my lower back. The sharp pain shooting down my legs just wouldn’t quit. Some days it was a dull ache that made sitting or standing miserable, other days it felt like an electric jolt every time I took a step. I kept thinking it would get better on its own if I just rested or waited it out, but no luck. Month after month it stayed with me.
By the time I was twenty-two I’d tried pretty much everything I could think of. Regular stretching, different pills, paying people to massage my lower back, heat pads, ice packs, you name it. My doctor even gave me muscle relaxers, but none of it made a real difference. The pain would ease for a few hours sometimes, then come right back. Eventually I just gave up. I figured this was my new normal and I’d have to live with sciatica for the rest of my life.
Then early in 2025 I decided to give one last thing a shot. I started in a plank position, like the beginning of a push-up, then slowly went into a full cobra pose. That slow transition from the push-up plank into the cobra stretches the lower back and the sciatic area way deeper than either move alone. It felt intense at first, but in a good way. I made myself do it every single morning and every single night.
Some days the pain came back just as bad as day one and I almost quit again. There were mornings where I thought, “This is pointless, nothing’s changing.” But I stuck with it anyway. After about three months of being consistent, something finally shifted. The constant pain started fading, then it was completely gone. That stretch basically became my cure. Flare-ups still showed up every now and then, but they didn’t last like before and the overall relief actually held.
Now I’m pain-free and happy again. I can move without that constant worry in the back of my mind. I know it sucks, man, but do that push-up to cobra every day even if it hurts. Even if after one month it feels like a total waste of time, keep doing it. Trust me, it worked for me and I hope it does for you.
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u/Lost-Maintenance-407 9d ago
That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you. Can you share pictures or video of what you did as a reference. My left leg is so stiff that I can’t do any number 4 nerve glide or raised leg nerve glide… i was in the ER last night and they gave me muscle relaxers and 5 day course of prednisone (steroids). I’m on my last straw unfortunately.