A lot of people experience back pain and sciatic nerve pain. Back pain is fairly self-explanatory; approximately 80% of people will experience this type of pain. On the other hand, sciatic nerve pain is often confused with back pain but is a different story altogether.

The sciatic nerves are the biggest nerves in the human system, and there’s one on either side of the body. They run from the lower spine (which is why they get confused with lower back pain) down through the backside, the thighs and back of the legs, and down to the tips of the toes.

Back pain and sciatic nerve pain – known simply as sciatica – can cause a lot of discomforts and may even affect your quality of life. This pain may prevent you from doing everyday tasks, reduce positive thinking, and be a hindrance in general. Worse still, countless people worldwide deal with this daily and don’t know how to manage it!

But what if I told you that there was one very simple and easy trick to preventing this type of pain, and all it takes is an inexpensive item that you might already have in your home? Here’s how to stop sciatic nerve pain and back pain with just a tennis ball – as well as pain in different body areas!

How To Stop Sciatic Nerve Pain And Back Pain With Just A Tennis Ball
sciatic nerve

1. Aching Back Can Cause Sciatic Nerve Pain

Is your back feeling a little sore? This is likely the most popular use for tennis balls for pain relief so you may have heard of this trick before. Here’s how to do it.

  • Step 1: You’ll need two tennis balls.
  • Step 2: Lie on your back on the balls. Position them so that they lie between your tailbone and your ribs.
  • Step 3: Shift your pelvis back and forth or side to side, allowing the balls to move slowly through the lower back easily. Breathe deeply as you do so.
  • Step 4: Continue to do this for around 5 minutes.

2. Pain in Hands

It’s not unusual to feel pain in the hands that can be relieved with a tennis ball. Usually, you feel this discomfort in your palms, fingers, or flexor muscles, typically manifesting as a type of tension. Here’s how to ease it.

  • Step 1: Place the affected hand on top of a tennis ball.
  • Step 2: Place the other hand over the affected hand. This will provide more pressure.
  • Step 3: Press down against the ball with your whole body weight, pressing into it and keeping it steady. Maintain for 60 seconds.
  • Step 4: Now, still applying some pressure, move the ball around your hand in up-and-down motions. Continue for around 3 minutes.

3. Hip Pain

There’s a variety of sciatica that can occur around the hip areas. Typically, though, hip pain occurs due to muscle tension occurring in muscles such as:

  • Gluteus Maximus (hip extensor muscle)
  • Medius (thick radiating muscle)
  • Piriformis

These muscles can develop tension and tightness, leading to discomfort and difficulty when walking or moving. You can use a tennis ball to stop this, too; here’s how.

  • Step 1: Lie down on your side with the tennis ball beneath the muscle causing you grief.
  • Step 2: Slowly rotate your hips, making slow and gentle circles. Do this around 12 times for 12 circles.
  • Step 3: Repeat this process, lying on your other side.

4. Neck Strain Can Cause Sciatic Nerve Pain

Neck pain and soreness often accompany back pain – especially if you’ve spent the day working at an office. You might find that your neck feels tight and tense, and it can be difficult to stretch the neck in a positive manner in the same way that you’d perform stretches for other parts of the body. Here’s how to ease the strain with a tennis ball.

  • Step 1: Lie on your on floor.
  • Step 2: Place two tennis balls beneath your head. Position them just under the bottom of the skull.
  • Step 3: Move your head in a nodding motion, upwards and downwards. Do this for one minute.
  • Step 4: Move your head in a shaking motion, side to side. Do this for one minute.

5. Chest Tightness

Chest tightness, aka a compressed chest, can feel very uncomfortable. While it’s not necessarily back pain or sciatica, it falls under the same category and can also be helped with the assistance of a tennis ball. Here’s how to do so.

  • Step 1: Stand facing a wall or a door.
  • Step 2: Take a tennis ball. Gently place it beneath the clavicle, in the middle of your chest.
  • Step 3: Press the ball against your chest against the wall or door, breathing the entire time deeply.
  • Step 4: If needed, shift the ball around. Move it from right to left, down to up, or any other way needed.
  • Step 5: Do this for about a minute.

A compressed chest can be troublesome and cause problems with nervous and respiratory function.

sciatic nerve pain

6. Knee Cramping

There are plenty of reasons for a knee cramp, apart from sciatica. Luckily, it’s easy to reduce this discomfort; you can do it sitting down! Here’s how to go about it.

  • Step 1: Sit on a chair with your knees bent.
  • Step 2: Place a tennis ball behind the knee, close to the side. Hold it there with your bent leg.
  • Step 3: Squeeze down on the tennis ball ten times by contracting your leg muscles. Then pause and relax the muscles there again, also for 10 times.
  • Step 4: Repeat everything on the other knee.

7. Shoulder Discomfort May Cause Sciatic Nerve Pain

It’s not unusual for back pain to come with a shoulder strain, too. This typically happens when you perform a lot of physical labor. For example, you might have lifted a lot of heavy items or shoveled dirt or snow, leaving you with shoulders that feel tense and stiff. Here’s what to do.

  • Step 1: Lie on the floor, flat on your back.
  • Step 2: Put a tennis ball under your back. Position it between your shoulder blades.
  • Step 3: Use your shoulders to roll the tennis ball around.

8. Thigh Discomfort

Because sciatica affects such a large body area, even your thighs can feel the burn or strain when your sciatic nerves are shot. Here’s how to use a tennis ball to relieve that pain.

  • Step 1: Sit down on a chair.
  • Step 2: Put two tennis balls on the outside area of your thigh.
  • Step 3: Using your knee, bend and straighten your leg repeatedly as your thighs move horizontally. Do this up to 30 times.
  • Step 4: The previous step allows the ball to roll throughout the sides of the thighs slowly.
  • Step 5: Repeat the process on the other thigh.

9. Plantar Fasciitis (and other foot soreness)

Plantar Fasciitis, a shooting pain radiating around your heels due to tissue inflammation, can be extremely painful and difficult to ignore. Though it typically occurs in the morning, it can crop up due to obesity, jobs that involve a lot of standing or walking, and even some kinds of exercise.

On top of that, countless types of foot soreness may occur due to sciatica, as that condition affects even your feet and toes. As such, many types of foot pain are forms of sciatic nerve pain. This can happen due to inadequate footwear or long periods of standing. Worse still, Plantar Fasciitis and foot pain can contribute to pain in the upper back!

Here’s how to use a tennis ball to stop this pain.

  • Step 1: Stand with one foot on a tennis ball. You can start with either foot.
  • Step 2: Position the ball so it is just under your heel.
  • Step 3: Press down; roll the tennis ball upwards and back downwards along the length of your food.
  • Step 4: Repeat this process with your other foot.

10. Poor Posture

Bad posture that has been going on for a while can be challenging to fix. Your body may automatically curve into that position or may feel pain when not in that posture. Unfortunately, posture that is less than positive comes with a lot of nasty side effects that can harm your health, such as:

  • Bad circulation
  • High blood pressure
  • Jaw pain
  • Higher stress levels
  • Digestive issues
  • Decreased positive thinking
  • Headaches
  • Exhaustion and fatigue
  • Restriction of breathing
  • Lowered motivation
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Arthritis
  • Sleeping difficulty
  • Other forms of back and shoulder pain

Luckily, you can work on bad posture with a simple tennis ball! Here’s how.

  • Step 1: Lie on the floor, flat on your back.
  • Step 2: Put two tennis balls beneath your upper back, along the sides. One ball should be on each side.
  • Step 3: Put your hands behind your head; then push your head off the ground.
  • Step 4: Move your head so your chin nears your chest.
  • Step 5: Lift your hips upwards. Lift them as far as provides a gentle tension.
  • Step 6: Breathe deeply three times as you move. The balls beneath you should roll upwards and downwards across the upper region of your back.

sciatica

Final Thoughts On How To Stop Sciatic Pain And Back Pain With A Tennis Ball

Countless forms of natural treatment can help ease back, and sciatic nerve pain, and using a tennis ball is one of them. Using this positive method is convenient and very easy to do; it helps relieve current pain and prevent future pain.

Better yet, countless people swear by this tennis ball trick. People feel much better after just a few sessions with this seemingly simple item. No wonder it has become such a huge hit!

Naturally, there are many other options you can choose from. Yoga, chiropractic care, massages, pilates, and regular exercise can help ease this pain. Plus, drinking more water, maintaining a good posture, eating well, stopping smoking, and even getting good sleep can all help prevent the onset of back pain and sciatica.

Don’t be afraid to try a mix of different methods to find what works best for you. If you’ve been using the tennis ball method, other methods, or a mix of them all, and you’re still dealing with bad pain, talk to your doctor about your options.