sciatica pain relief

Sciatica pain can be unbearable causing weakness, pain, numbness tingling in the leg.  The pressure or injury to sciatic nerve causes pain that can last long if not taken care. Most of the time, medicines can only give temporary relief for sciatica.

There are different reasons that causes sciatica pain. Sometimes it could be the work, lifting or even sedentary lifestyle can cause sciatica pain. Generally, the four primary conditions that are responsible for sciatica nerve pain are: Herniated Disc, Spinal Stenosis, Spondylolisthesis, and Piriformis Syndrome.  To understand and treat underlying cause of sciatic pain one need proper investigation of the symptoms. Yoga poses can help to get relief from sciatica. Following few poses are helpful to give relief from sciatica pain.

Child pose:

• Sit back on heels and open knees about hip width on a mat.
•  Bend forward by lowering upper body between thighs and bring forehead toward floor.
•  Stretch both arms in front of the body by facing palms down. Or simply kneel on the floor.
•  Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips.
• If you find it hard to touch the forehead to floor use a folded towel, a block or a blanket – and place head on the any one of these items of your choice.
• If you find it difficult on calves and hamstrings, place a folded towel between calves and hamstrings.
• Hold for 3-5 sec, repeat 5-8 times; perform childpose at least once per day.

Figure four pose (on chair)

• Sit on a chair. Slowly lift affect leg up and place it on opposite knee.
• Now stabilize the bent leg with both hands by keeping one hand on foot and push down on the knee of bent leg with other hand.
• Bring your chest forward slowly. Go as for as you feel comfortable and stop.
• Come out from the stretch the way you placed leg in the beginning.
• Hold for 3-5 sec, repeat 5-8 times; perform at least once per day.

Hip stretch from outside

• Lie down on mat. Bring knees close to hip by bending.
• Bring affected leg over other leg by bending the knee. Let the shoulders be on the floor firmly.
• Now apply gentle down pressure on the affected leg and  allow hip to stretch. You will feel stretch on outside of your thigh muscle and up to sciatica.
• Hold 3-5 sec; repeat 5-8 times; perform at least once per day.

Hip Flexor exercise

• Stand in mountain pose and slowly place one foot in front of you. If needed hold on to a chair or rail for support.
• Slowly bend both legs lowering the back knee to floor. Let the front leg do the work.
• Perform this exercise for both legs. Hold the pose for few seconds.

Piriformis Super Stretch (pigeon pose)

• Sit on the mat in table pose with both palms and knee on the floor.
• if you have pain on the right, rotate both legs to the left and extend your left leg straight back, if you have pain on your left side, rotate both to the right and extend your right leg straight back.
• While exhaling slowly bring your chest close to the floor or place it on fists.

Glute stretch on back:

• Lie down on the mat.
• Cross one leg over the opposite leg knee and bring the foot on the floor up and towards chest.
• Grab your knee from under the leg that is crossed using both hands.
• Come out from the stretch slowly.
• Repeat the stretch at least two times a day.

Image credit: Lady sitting on chair: Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels (Free for commercial use)

Sciatica image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sciatica.png, BruceBlaus / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)