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Low back and sciatica exercises

Pain that runs from the low back through the hip and down the leg.

How to workOne clear rule here: if the pain pulls back out of the leg towards the spine, you are going the right way. If it travels further down the leg, stop that movement.
See a doctor, not a stretch
Pelvic tilt
कमर का झुकाव · पेल्विक टिल्ट
  1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat.
  2. Flatten the arch of the low back down into the floor.
  3. Draw the lower belly gently inwards.
  4. Hold five, release.
Where you should feel it: The low back flattening, with light work low in the belly.
10 reps × 2 sets, daily
Knee to chest
घुटना छाती तक
  1. Lie on your back with the knees bent.
  2. Take one knee in both hands and draw it towards your chest.
  3. Keep the other knee bent with the foot on the floor.
  4. Hold 20–30 seconds, then swap.
Where you should feel it: An easing open of the hip and low back.
3 each side
Sciatic nerve glide
साइटिक नस की सरकन
  1. Sit upright on a chair, both feet on the floor.
  2. Straighten one leg out in front, heel on the floor.
  3. Pull the toes towards you and tuck your chin to your chest at the same time.
  4. Hold a second or two, then release both — this is a glide, not a stretch.
Where you should feel it: A light tug down the back of the leg that lets go immediately.
10 slow reps × 2 sets
Prone press-up
पेट के बल उठान
  1. Lie on your front, elbows under the shoulders.
  2. Prop up on the elbows, hips staying on the floor.
  3. Let the low back sag — do not push through it.
  4. Hold 10–15 seconds and come down. Stop if the pain moves further down the leg.
Where you should feel it: A gentle pressure in the low back; leg pain easing off.
8–10 reps, twice a day

Alongside

Unbroken sitting is what aggravates sciatica most. Get up and walk for two minutes every 30–40 minutes — that does more than any single exercise here.

What this is for

See also