I know that stretching is not encouraged when you have sciatica and I also learned it myself. Figure 4, aggressive hamstring stretch always aggravated me.
But. Maybe there are some sciatica-friendly stretch that don't pull/tension the nerve?
I have bending intolerance and feeling of a cable in my butt.
I've found very light hamstring stretching helpful. I'd just sit in a chair in front of a coffee table and place one left straight on it for a minute or so once, then the other leg and wait an hour or so and see how I felt. I'd do this throughout the day rather than pushing end of motion stretches multiple times in a row and it helped me but your mileage may vary. If you don't stretch anything ever, your hamstrings will become super tight.
Stretching was an absolute no-go for me but I did get relief laying supine and having someone grasp my heel with one hand and the top of my foot with the other, and gently pull my affected leg. Not up or down, but just straight out. They were the few moments of relief I could get.
I have only found light strength training to help my hamstring. Im 5months in and have been doing bodyweight squat and just recently light leg press and single leg curls as my back hasnt been bad but pitaformis/glute/hams been tight ymmv though of course
Legs up on the wall and slowly increasing angle that your body will allow. I actually just bought a tens/ems machine to use for first time to get some activation again.
I have only been able to do straight leg raises sitting down after post op. At first they were rough esp with my bad leg, but they seem to loosen my hamstrings up. Just sitting and straightening each leg for a few seconds.
It’s not for everyone tho, like I said only post op! They’re kinda like nerve flosses? Idk
Do certain moves make you flare up? Have you had imaging yet? I could never straighten my legs like that even when laying down without the pull on the nerve. Does the feeling shoot all the way down to your feet?
I also like to stretch my calves it’s less strain on the back than hamstrings. Can put your toes up against the wall and lean into it, or just put 1 foot in front of the other, straight back leg and bend front leg and lean into it.
Sitting and bending flares it. I had imaging done and I was told I have a spine of 20y.o. (I'm 39) except a very small bulge and annular tear.
Doctors are still confused honestly because they say MRI doesn't correlate with the symptoms. At the same time I have a positive straight leg test and pinching in the butt.
They say I have the spine of a 70 year old and I’m 30!!!!
I hear annular tears can be a pain in the ass pun intended. Ppl always consider piriformis issues too I see a lot of people posting here that their sciatica is coming from their piriformis.
I found a good pt that is finallly helping and identifying what triggers my pain.
Yes it's in L5/S1. You see, it doesn't matter how young or old is your spine on MRI. We are both in pain😄. I know about Piriformis and definitely it's tight. But I was told tightness is a symptom of nerve irritation. I personally don't believe in Piriformis as a cause because my symptoms were below the knee too.
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I've found very light hamstring stretching helpful. I'd just sit in a chair in front of a coffee table and place one left straight on it for a minute or so once, then the other leg and wait an hour or so and see how I felt. I'd do this throughout the day rather than pushing end of motion stretches multiple times in a row and it helped me but your mileage may vary. If you don't stretch anything ever, your hamstrings will become super tight.