Sciatica exercises: 5 stretches that can help
Exercises sourced from NHS clinical guidance.
Medically reviewed by Harvir Ubhi, Chartered HCPC Physiotherapist
Last reviewed: 16 September 2026
Sciatica, pain that runs from your lower back down through your buttock and leg, usually gets better with movement, not rest. Five gentle exercises can ease the pressure on the sciatic nerve: knee rolls, pelvic tilt, deep lunge, standing thigh stretch, and knee to chest. None of them should hurt. If an exercise causes sharp pain, stop and see a physiotherapist or GP instead.
These are safe, general starting points from NHS guidance, not a diagnosis. Sciatica has several different underlying causes, and a trained physiotherapist can work out exactly what's driving yours and build a plan around it, which resolves it faster than guessing on your own.
What sciatica actually is
Sciatica happens when the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back all the way down to your feet, gets irritated or compressed. It's usually caused by a slipped disc, the most common cause and more likely as you get older, though spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or a back injury can also cause it.
The pain typically runs down the back of one leg, sometimes reaching the foot or toes, and can feel sharp or burning. You might also get pins and needles, numbness, or weakness in the leg. Back pain often comes with it, but the leg pain is usually worse.
It usually improves within a few weeks to a few months, though it can take longer and can come back.
What actually helps, and what to avoid
Staying as active as you can helps. Carry on with your normal daily activities where possible, do the exercises below regularly, use heat packs on the painful area, and ask a pharmacist about painkillers that suit you.
What doesn't help is sitting or lying down for long periods. It tends to make sciatica worse, not better.
5 sciatica exercises to try
The rule for all of these is simple: you should not feel pain while doing them. Some mild discomfort as you stretch is normal; sharp or worsening pain is not. Do them little and often through the day rather than in one long session.
1. Knee rolls
Lie on your back, on a mat or your bed, knees bent, feet flat. Keep your back relaxed. Gently roll both knees to one side, then the other.
Hold 10 seconds each side. Repeat 3 times each side.
2. Pelvic tilt
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your stomach muscles and flatten your lower back against the floor or bed.
Hold 5 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
3. Deep lunge
Kneel on one knee with the other foot forward, facing straight ahead. Lift your back knee slightly off the floor to feel a stretch at the front of the hip.
Hold 5 seconds. Repeat 3 times, then switch sides.
4. Standing thigh stretch
Stand holding onto something for support if you need to. Bend one leg up behind you to feel a stretch in the front of that thigh.
Hold 5 seconds. Repeat 3 times each side.
5. Knee to chest
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Bring one knee up and gently pull it towards your chest with your hands.
Hold 5 seconds. Repeat up to 5 times.
One more worth knowing: the sciatic nerve slider
This one glides the sciatic nerve itself rather than stretching the muscles around it, and some NHS physiotherapy teams use it alongside the exercises above.
Sit down. Straighten your knee and point your toes up towards the ceiling while you look up. Then, in a controlled movement, lower your chin to your chest while your foot returns to its starting position. Repeat as advised by your physiotherapist; there's no fixed number that suits everyone. As with the others, you should not feel pain at any point.
When to stop and get help urgently
Call 999 or go to A&E immediately if you have sciatica and any of the following:
- Numbness around or under your genitals or bottom
- Loss of bladder or bowel control (needing to go suddenly, or not being able to tell when you need to)
- Severe pain or numbness in both legs
- Weakness in both legs that's bad enough to make it hard to stand
These can be signs of cauda equina syndrome, a rare but serious condition where nerves at the base of the spine are compressed. It needs same-day hospital assessment, not a GP appointment.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I do these exercises for before I see someone?
The NHS's general guidance is to try self-care, including regular exercise, for a few weeks. If sciatica hasn't started improving in that time, or it's getting worse, see a GP or physiotherapist rather than keep waiting.
Can exercise make sciatica worse?
Movement done correctly generally helps sciatica more than rest does. Prolonged sitting or lying down tends to make it worse. But the wrong exercise, or the right exercise done with poor form, can aggravate certain causes of sciatica, which is why you should not feel pain during any of these. Persistent or worsening pain means seeing a professional rather than pushing through.
Do these exercises work for everyone's sciatica?
Sciatica has several different underlying causes, including a slipped disc, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or a back injury, and the right exercise can depend on which one you have. These five are general, gentle starting points, not a personalised treatment plan. A physiotherapist can assess your specific case and adjust from there.
What's the difference between sciatica and general lower back pain?
Lower back pain stays in the back. Sciatica involves the sciatic nerve, so the pain, or numbness, tingling, or weakness, travels down through the buttock and leg, often past the knee. The leg pain is usually the worse part, not the back pain.
Not sure who to see?
If these exercises aren't enough, tell us your symptoms and we'll match you with the right London physio. Free, no obligation.
Get matched free →Sources: NHS (nhs.uk), South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, MSK Dorset NHS. Fetched and checked 16 September 2026.