How To Do a Nerve Glide To Treat Sciatica Pain

If you’ve ever had sciatic pain (sciatica) radiating down your leg, you know how painful and debilitating it can be. The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve, originating at the base of the spine and running along the back of each leg into the foot. If you have degenerative or herniated discs, or arthritis, you may have sciatica as a symptom.

It’s important to remember that sciatica is a symptom of a pinched or irritated nerve—a warning sign that something is not right.

Not all nerve pain down your leg originates in your lumbar spine. Your back may hurt, but the problem can be caused by your sacrum or pelvic alignment.

With Parkinson’s, it’s not uncommon to have some pain in the hips, legs, or buttocks from a hip malalignment. If your body is affected on one side from PD, even the lack of arm swing can cause muscles in the buttocks or hips to become tight.

If the pain is due to your hips, the pain going down your leg is still from the sciatic nerve but it’s called “pseudo-sciatica.” This pain “deceptively resembles sciatica.” It feels like disc sciatica, with lower back pain and aching pain in the buttocks, radiating down the leg.

In this case, one of the exercises a physical therapist will show you is a nerve glide. It’s simple to do on your own as long as you maintain a pain-free range of motion.

A nerve glide is a movement that stretches and mobilizes a nerve to improve function and reduce pain. It is also known as nerve flossing.

Benefits of nerve gliding include: reduced pain and numbness, improved nerve function, increased range of motion, and improved body awareness (proprioception). 

Watch this video to learn how to do a nerve glide to help with painful sciatica:

When performing a nerve glide, it’s important to follow these precautions:

• Stop the exercise if you experience severe pain or discomfort. 
• Gradually increase the intensity and duration of the glides as tolerated. 

Nerve glides are a safe and effective treatment for improving nerve function and reducing pain. This movement can provide significant relief for individuals experiencing nerve compression or irritation. 

Coach Kimberly