This guide helps you understand sciatica, decide what is safe to try at home, and follow a simple routine that builds strength, mobility, and confidence.
What is sciatica?
Sciatica is leg pain and sometimes tingling, numbness, or weakness that comes from irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve or its spinal nerve roots. It often affects one leg, can feel sharp or burning, and sometimes travels to the foot. Most people improve over time, especially when they stay gently active and manage symptoms smartly.
Is home care for your sciatica right for you?
Try this plan if your pain is mild to moderate and not rapidly worsening.
Skip home care and contact urgent or emergency care now if you have any of the following: new bladder or bowel changes, groin numbness, progressive leg weakness, severe unrelenting pain, or systemic symptoms like fever and night sweats. These can signal rare but serious problems that need urgent evaluation.
Good to know: In many cases, sciatica improves without procedures. AAOS notes that 80–90% of people with disc-related sciatica get better over weeks without surgery.
The science in short
Keep moving. High-quality guidelines encourage staying active and returning to normal activities. Prolonged bed rest is not recommended. Exercise programs are helpful for low back pain with or without sciatica.
Why these exercises. Building hip and core strength, gently mobilizing the back, and using positions that “centralize” pain can reduce symptoms and recurrences. There is supportive evidence for exercise therapy and for using a “directional preference” approach such as repeated extensions when those movements reduce or centralize pain.
Your 20-Minute Home Routine for Sciatica (5–6 days per week)
Do the warm-up, then 4 strength/mobility moves, then a short walk. Stop any move that increases leg pain during or after. Use a mat or carpet.
Warm-up, 3 minutes
Gentle marching or easy hallway laps, then 10 slow pelvic tilts on your back. This preps hips and low back. (Guidelines support staying active and gradually resuming normal activities.)
Core and Hip Strength Stretches for Sciatica
(pick 2 based on which feels better)
Glute Bridge Stretches for Sciatica
2 sets of 8–12 reps
How to do it:
Slowly lower your hips back to the floor with control.
Tip: If you feel pinching or discomfort in your lower back, don’t lift as high — focus on squeezing your glutes, not arching your spine.
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart, and arms resting at your sides.
Engage your core by drawing your belly button gently toward your spine.
Press through your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
Hold the top position for 2–3 seconds, keeping your ribs down and avoiding over-arching your lower back.
Clamshell Stretches for Sciatica
2 sets of 8–12 reps per side
How to do it:
Pause briefly at the top, then lower the knee back down with control.
Tip: Imagine your pelvis is glued in place — only your knee should move. This trains the small hip muscles (gluteus medius and minimus) that stabilize your lower back and pelvis.
Lie on your side with your knees bent about 90° and your feet stacked together.
Keep your hips and shoulders aligned, and rest your head on your bottom arm.
Without letting your pelvis roll backward, slowly lift your top knee as high as possible while keeping your feet together.
Bird-Dog Stretches for Sciatica
2 sets of 6–10 reps per side
How to do it:
Repeat on the opposite side. Modification: If balance is challenging, lift just the leg or just the arm until you build more control.
Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position, with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
Engage your core and keep your spine neutral (don’t arch or round).
Slowly extend your right arm forward and your left leg backward until they’re in line with your torso.
Hold for 2–3 seconds, then return to the starting position.
Directional Relief Exercises for Sciatica
(pick 1 based on which feels better)
Prone Press-Up (Cobra-Style) Exercises For Sciatica
8–10 gentle reps, holding 3–5 seconds
How to do it:
Keep your glutes and legs relaxed; the movement should come from your spine extending, not from pushing your hips up.
Pause at the top for 3–5 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position.
Tip: If the pain in your leg decreases (moves upward toward your low back), continue. If leg pain worsens or spreads further down, stop and try the knee-to-chest instead.
Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders, elbows bent.
Gently press into your hands, lifting your chest off the ground while keeping your hips and pelvis in contact with the floor.
Knee-to-Chest Stretch for Sciatica
8–10 reps per side, slow and easy
How to do it:
Keep your lower back pressed into the floor and your opposite leg relaxed and straight.
Hold the stretch for a few seconds, then return to start and switch sides.
Tip: If bringing your knee all the way up feels tight, stop at a comfortable point and breathe deeply. This stretch is especially helpful if curling your spine feels relieving.
Lie on your back with your legs straight.
Gently bend one knee and bring it toward your chest, holding behind your thigh or shin.
Gentle Mobility Exercises for Sciatica
(Improving comfort and flexibility without aggravation)
Child’s Pose for Sciatica
1–2 holds of 30–60 seconds
How to do it:
Breathe slowly and deeply into your belly, relaxing your hips and back. Modification: If you feel discomfort in your knees or hips, place a pillow or rolled-up towel under your hips, chest, or forehead for support. If kneeling isn’t comfortable, sit in a chair and lean forward with your arms resting on your thighs.
Kneel on the floor with your big toes touching and knees apart.
Sit back onto your heels, then walk your hands forward, lowering your chest and forehead toward the floor.
Reach your arms out in front of you or rest them alongside your body.
Sciatic Nerve Slider Exercises for Sciatica Relief
(Controlled neural mobility drills to reduce leg tightness)
Seated Sciatic Nerve Slider
10 light reps per side
How to do it:
Repeat for 10 slow, gentle reps on each side. Important: This should feel like a light tug, not pain or worsening tingling. If symptoms increase, stop immediately.
Sit tall on the edge of a chair with both feet flat on the ground.
Extend one leg forward, straightening the knee while pulling your toes up toward you.
At the same time, gently look up toward the ceiling (this relaxes the nerve).
Then slowly bend your knee back down while tucking your chin toward your chest.
Walking Exercise for Sciatica Recovery
(Safe, low-impact movement to encourage healing)
How to do it:
Breathe deeply and evenly throughout.
Stop if you feel sharp or worsening pain. Why it helps: Gentle walking promotes blood flow, reduces stiffness, and helps your back stay mobile without adding strain.
Walk at a comfortable pace, focusing on smooth, steady steps.
Keep your shoulders relaxed and arms swinging naturally.
How to make this work in real life
Frequency. Aim for most days. The HSS source suggests at least twice weekly and notes you can do them daily if they feel good.
Pain rule. Soreness in muscles is OK. Increasing leg pain, new numbness, or weakness is not. Stop that move and switch to a comfortable option.
Quick relief strategies that play nice with exercise
Heat or cold for 10–15 minutes to the painful area, whichever feels best, especially before exercises. (Simple measures often help in mild cases.)
OTC meds like NSAIDs can reduce pain short-term if you have no medical reasons to avoid them; use the lowest effective dose, shortest time, and check with your clinician or pharmacist.
Workspace and daily life tweaks
Break up sitting every 20–30 minutes with a 1–2 minute stroll.
Keep loads close to your body when lifting.
Walk on flat ground first, then add gentle hills as symptoms settle.
When to get more help
Soon if pain limits basic activities despite 1–2 weeks of consistent home work.
Urgent if you develop red-flag symptoms listed above.
You don’t have to live with the daily limitations and discomfort that sciatica can bring. While these exercises can ease pain and improve mobility, lasting relief often comes from a care plan designed specifically for you. At our OrthoNJ divisions, our orthopedic specialists provide expert evaluation, personalized treatment options, and step-by-step guidance to help you recover and get back to the activities you love. Reach out today to take the first step toward lasting relief and a stronger, healthier future.
Find An OrthoNJ Location
Contact one of OrthoNJ's locations spread out through all of New Jersey.
This treatment info is for informational purposes only.Treatment and recovery vary person to person, and you should consult with your treating physician and team for details on your treatment and recovery process.
