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Physiotherapist Olivia Hadfield
Updated 15-7-25
Additional Notes
Pelvic floor training: daily, complete contraction or 'knack' with squats at the gym. Please reduce load if needed for squats and monitor leakage response.
Please avoid long sitting - sciatic tension
When the burning tension is present - trial the slider to see if it resolves. Ensure you don't feel a strong stretch sensation.
1Sciatic Nerve Slider
10 reps
Twice / day
  • Sit on a chair with your feet hanging freely.
  • Slouch through your back and drop your shoulders towards the ground.
  • Look down towards your feet, bend your knee back, and point toes to the ground.
  • This is the starting position.
  • Slowly straighten your knee, look up to the ceiling and point your toes back towards you.
  • Then slowly bend your knee, look down to the ground and point toes downwards to return to the starting position.
  • Repeat this movement as many times as your Physiotherapist has prescribed.
Olivia Hadfield Peak Physio

Or as needed.

2Sciatic Nerve Slider
Twice / day
  • Lying on your back interlace the hands at the back of the affected knee.
  • The knee is stacked over the top of the hip in this position.
  • Extend the knee towards the roof with the toes coming back towards the head.
  • Move the leg into the position in which you start to feel light tension.
  • Keep your leg in this extended position.
  • Point your foot to the ceiling and then slowly pull your foot back towards your head.
  • Repeat as prescribed by your physiotherapist.

Olivia Hadfield Peak Physio

Option if easier to complete during the day.

3Hip Abduction and Extension
3 sets of 10 reps
Twice / week
  • Come into side lying with the target limb uppermost
  • Position the swiss ball on the lower calf behind the heel
  • Keep the toes forward without rotating through the hip
  • Press the leg back into the swiss ball as you lift the leg away from the ground
  • This should engage the gluteal and hamstring musculature
  • Repeat as per Physiotherapists guidelines
4Hip Abduction
3 reps
5 seconds
Three times / week
  • Stand at a 45° angle to a wall, so that your working leg is the outside leg.
  • Bend your other knee and rest it against the wall, keeping your toes rested on the ground. Do not push into the wall, this is purely for balance.
  • Stand up straight, pull your shoulders high and look straight ahead.
  • Try to turn your upper thigh outwards. This is a small movement, and you should only feel the muscles in your buttock / side of hip turn on.
  • Hold for the amount of time prescribed by your physiotherapist.
  • Tip: Avoid activating the quadriceps (front of thigh muscles). If you can keep these relaxed, it will increase the activation of your gluteals.
5Crab Walk [Feet]
4 sets of 10 reps
Three times / week
  • Secure the band around the tops of the feet.
  • Come into a squat position, sending the hips back and maintaining the knees over the top of the ankles.
  • Side step controlling the movement of the stepping foot against the band.
  • As you step imagine you are passing under a shallow roof, maintaining the squat depth.

6Banana Stretch – Quadratus Lumborum [Wall]
30 seconds
Twice / day
  • Find a wall/doorway that can be gripped with the hands.
  • Stand close to the doorway and grab with both hands.
  • Draw the side of the body that’s furthest away for the wall outwards until you feel a stretch up the side of the body.
Olivia Hadfield Peak Physio

Away from left side

7Pelvic Floor
6 reps
12s
Once / day
  • Perform lying on your back with the knees gently bent and feet firmly planted.
  • It is best to complete this exercise without any distractions and in a calming space.
  • Contract the pelvic floor as if you were trying to stop yourself from passing wind.
  • Other cues: picking up a blueberry with your back passage, zipping from vagina to anus, walking into ice cold water.
  • Completely relax after the contraction.
  • When contracting ensure that the muscles of the thigh and buttocks don’t activate.
  • Complete these 3 variations in contraction:
    • 10x fast reps.
    • 8-12 reps of 6-8 second maximum voluntary contraction.
    • 60 seconds submaximal 30-50% contraction.