Ouch! I've been suffering with this in slowly increasing intensity in my right leg for the past two weeks now. This weekend I was hoping to go riding, but today it's worse than ever, and I can hardly walk, never mind cycle. I'm pretty sure there's no magic bullet, but does anyone have any tips on easing it?

MrsZ's mate is a physio who has given me an exercise to do, and that eases the pain for about five minutes. Painkillers are more effective, but clearly crunching cocodamol isn't a long-term fix.

Does anyone have any advice or tips?

sit on the floor with your legs out straight in front of you. put your right foot over your left leg and place it next to your left knee, so that your right knee is almost fully bent.

hook your left arm around your right knee so your knee sits inside your left elbow. grab yhour left hand with your right.

keeping your right foot on the floor, pull your right knee towards your left shoulder and hold it for 60 seconds. then, dont release the pressure but tighten it as much as you can and hold it for 30. tighten again and hold for 30.

do this several times a day as its a thick old tendon you are trying to stretch.

this isnt specifically for sciatica as such, its more commonly used for certain types of knee pain but it helped a lot with my sciatica.

an Osteopath fixed my sciatica in about 10mins, after a couple of physio's told me to 'rest it for a week or so, – oh, you already have'

Oww Oww Oww! But it seems to have worked a little. Cheers. Shall repeat in conjunction with the other exercise and see how it goes. If all else fails I thin I'll have a longer leg after a wile!

Don't forget to warm up before you stretch! Ride your bike to warm up then stretch. What brought it on? Ride position or lifting or a shock? Just keep moving regardless.

slowrider – Member

sit on the floor with your legs out straight in front of you. put your right foot over your left leg and place it next to your left knee, so that your right knee is almost fully bent.

hook your left arm around your right knee so your knee sits inside your left elbow. grab yhour left hand with your right.

keeping your right foot on the floor, pull your right knee towards your left shoulder and hold it for 60 seconds. then, dont release the pressure but tighten it as much as you can and hold it for 30. tighten again and hold for 30.

do this several times a day as its a thick old tendon you are trying to stretch.

this isnt specifically for sciatica as such, its more commonly used for certain types of knee pain but it helped a lot with my sciatica.

This could be bad advice if the sciatic nerve is being compressed by a bulging disc, and could make the disc bulge even more, making the whole thing worse.

It may have worked for your particular problem, but as everyone is different a visit to an osteopath will diagnose the cause of the OP's leg pain and treat/prescribe any appropriate exercises.

Good luck

What brought it on?

Not sure, it's just steadily got worse over the last two weeks of office-dwelling at work. I've made sure I'm seated correctly, monitor at right height etc. Certainly not cycling, more the lack of it…

mine was worse the less i did, once i got warmed up and moving it was alright.

Lie on your stomach with arms at the side (press up position) and then arch your back so that you raise your head, keeping your toes touching the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and then repeat for as many reps as you can.

Mrs J suffers from it, and doing this is way better than any pain killer.

My chiroprator sorted out my back/sciatica pain, explained to me about my bad habits (whilst driving and working on the computer) and now mine is near enough gone, can't recommend a good Chiroprator enough (and several sessions, it isn't just fixed in one session).

Sciatic is a symptom of a problem, you need to identify what that problem is and get that treated. Could be slipped disc, muscle injury etc…

geoffj – Member

Lie on your stomach with arms at the side (press up position) and then arch your back so that you raise your head, keeping your toes touching the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and then repeat for as many reps as you can.

Mrs J suffers from it, and doing this is way better than any pain killer.

Yes, that's the one MrsZ's physio suggested. It does work for a short while. I guess just keep at it. I'm fairly sure all the sitting around isn't helping, but not much I can do as that's my job at the moment…

I guess just keep at it.

Yes, it really helps, but you have to keep at it.

This could be bad advice if the sciatic nerve is being compressed by a bulging disc, and could make the disc bulge even more, making the whole thing worse.

It may have worked for your particular problem, but as everyone is different a visit to an osteopath will diagnose the cause of the OP's leg pain and treat/prescribe any appropriate exercises.

Good luck

I am afraid I have had a lot of experience with sciatica (myself and friends) and most GP's and A&E departments are not usually concerned with sciatica unless the tingling you get reaches your foot /toes or you have muscle weakness in your lower limbs and have trouble walking. From my experience sciatica can be due to several causes (but is due to compression of the sciatic nerve/root of) but quite often due to lumbar disc degeneration or malposition. This is likely to be a long term problem but usually non-progressive. If it is then I would def go further in investiagtion. I find bike riding helps mine and that back exercises help a lot.

A quick relief for acute episodes is to do 10 leaning back exercises from the hip. Then you can do floor exercises such as putting your feet on a block say 1-2 feet off the floor and gently raising your bum off the floor – I find using a gym ball to strengthen you core muscles helps loads. 🙂

so your knee sits inside your left elbow

and

pull your right knee towards your left shoulder

uh my left shoulder is always 12" away from my left elbow…