Stretching Your Hamstrings is Making Your Sciatica Worse! Do This Instead!, by Dr. Michael Derry, DPT on YouTube. 11 min 45 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 45 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Sit on the front edge of a chair with both feet flat on the floor. Slump a little, tuck your chin and round your upper back slightly. This relaxed posture is the starting point for the glides.
Seated glide: straighten one knee and pull your toes up toward you while you look down. Then bend the knee, point the toes away and lift your chin. Keep the movement slow.
Do about 10 slow reps on that leg, then swap sides. Move through the range rather than holding at the end.
Standing glide: stand with one heel on the floor in front of you or on a low step. Tuck your chin, slump forward slightly, straighten the knee and pull the toes up. Then bend the knee, point the toes and lift your head.
Lying glide: lie on your back and loop a towel or strap around one foot. Raise the leg to a comfortable height and alternate pointing the toes away and pulling them back toward you.
Keep the raised leg fairly low. You want a mild pull behind the knee or in the calf, not a strong stretch.
Aim for 10 slow reps per side, two or three times a day. Ease off if your leg symptoms increase afterwards.
Tips and common mistakes
A nerve glide should feel like a light pull that comes and goes as you move, never a sharp or lingering pain.
Do not hold at the end of the range like a muscle stretch, since that is what tends to irritate the nerve.
Stop and see a clinician if you get numbness, weakness or pain that keeps getting worse down the leg.
Questions
How often should I do nerve glides?
Start with about 10 slow reps per side, two or three times a day. Cut back if your symptoms flare up after a session.
Should nerve glides hurt?
No. You are aiming for a mild pull that fades as you move. Sharp pain or tingling that lingers means you went too far.
Can I still stretch my hamstrings?
If the tight feeling is coming from the nerve, stretching can make it worse. Try the glides for a couple of weeks first and see how your leg responds.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
