The leg pain of sciatica is usually decreased by movement and gets worse with prolonged bed rest. Sitting is usually one of the most painful activities when suffering from back pain and leg pain and should be kept to a minimum. If you avoid all exercise you quickly get "out of shape" and deconditioned muscles are less able to support your low back. Deconditioned muscles are easier to strain and this can compound the sciatic pain. Movement helps with the exchange of water, waste products and nutrients within the intervertebral discs. This exchange is necessary to keep the spinal discs healthy. Strengthening core muscles is important to help prevent low back pain and sciatica problems. Balance exercises also help to strengthen the core muscles and help to decrease the frequency and duration of back pain flare ups. Exercises such as the stork exercise help to improve both balance and joint proprioception.
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/rehabilitation-exercises/lower-leg-ankle-exercises/stork-balance
Sciatica has many causes and because of that, the effects of various exercises differ based on the cause of the problem. Sciatica can be the result of the postural changes due to pregnancy. Sciatica can be caused my a piriformis muscle spasm, a disc herniation, spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis. In general, if the stretching exercise decreases your pain, it is probably beneficial. Some exercises help some sciatic patients while the same exercise makes the sciatica worse for another patient. An exercise that temporarily increases the back pain but decreases the leg pain is said to causes centralization. Centralization of the pain means the exercise is generally a good exercise for that individual. If an exercise increases your leg pain or numbness, it is probably not right for you at this point in your recovery from sciatica. Doing the wrong exercises for your condition can make your sciatica worse.
Always consult your doctor of chiropractic or physician that specializes in spinal problems before starting an exercise program. The link below demonstrates some stretches that are generally safe for people suffering from sciatica.
http://www.healthline.com/health/back-pain/sciatic-stretches?m=0#overview1
http://health.facty.com/conditions/sciatica/8-exercises-for-sciatica/8/
If you have any questions please contact Dr. Greg L. Crawford D.C., D.A.B.C.O., Foothills Chiropractic, 1337 East Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 493-2105 http://ftcollinschiropractor.com