Child's Pose (Modified for Sciatica)
Child's pose is generally well tolerated in sciatica and a frequent component of the acute-phase routine, particularly the knees-wide variant which avoids compressing the abdomen and allows the lumbar spine to round more freely. It decompresses the lumbar facet joints and gently lengthens the paraspinals, which often spasm protectively around an irritated nerve root. The caveat: if pain peripheralises with lumbar flexion (the classic disc-bias presentation), child's pose may not be appropriate; in those cases the centralisation test directs you toward prone extension positions instead.
Illustration. Follow the steps for the actual technique.
How to do it
- 1
Start on hands and knees, knees wider than hip-width (slightly wider than usual)
Knees wide
- 2
Sit your hips back toward your heels
Hips to heels
- 3
Walk your hands forward, lower your forehead to the floor or a cushion
Arms long
- 4
Allow the low back to round gently. Breathe into the back of the ribs
Round and release
- 5
Hold 60 seconds. If one buttock or leg feels pulled, gently shift hips an inch the opposite way to find ease
Find the comfortable position
The evidence
Child's pose is generally well tolerated in sciatica and a frequent component of the acute-phase routine, particularly the knees-wide variant which avoids compressing the abdomen and allows the lumbar spine to round more freely. It decompresses the lumbar facet joints and gently lengthens the paraspinals, which often spasm protectively around an irritated nerve root. The caveat: if pain peripheralises with lumbar flexion (the classic disc-bias presentation), child's pose may not be appropriate; in those cases the centralisation test directs you toward prone extension positions instead.
Citation: Wieland LS, Skoetz N, Pilkington K, Vempati R, D'Adamo CR, Berman BM (2017). Yoga treatment for chronic non-specific low back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews