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If you have the type where the pain shoots down your leg to your foot like fire, then the yoga where you lay flat on you back, raise the offending leg, bend the knee and pull the leg to your chest with both arms gets it done. This move maximum stretches that nerve, pulling it out of the hole in the spine that is to small, be careful not to hurt your knee pulling to hard on it, or wear a knee brace. Sciatica is no fun, the right stretch is better than the back crackers for me, it takes some time to get pain free. [/quote]


i occasionally have this problem, sharp pain from my middle upper back down to my knee on my left side. talked to my regular MD about it during my annual physical a few months ago. this is almost exactly what he suggested to me to help. he also suggested to do this as a at least a weekly regular exercise, even if i don't have any pain. he also suggested start slow and work up intensity of the stretch.

it has also suggested to me by a co-worker to lean against a wall with both feet a couple feet away from the wall, basically the length of your lower leg below the knee., pull up 1 leg, the side with the pain, over the opposite knee and then bend/ slide down the wall until the remaining leg knee is at a 90* angle. hold for a while then slide back up the wall. this also stretches the nerve. DO THIS SLOW and don't over stretch.