Yoga for Sciatica
Many people with tight hips area and possibly lower-back muscles find that straight-leg forward bends actually aggravate sciatica.
Here’s some advice from Sarah Powers on some of the better yoga positions that can help sciatica.
If the pelvis is unable to rotate forward (flexion of the hip) by the psoas and iliacus muscles, quadratus lumborum, and rectus abdominis, then ante-version or rotation of the pelvis forward will be limited, resulting in the pelvis rotating back (retroversion).
Instead of bending forward from the hips, the lower spine rounds and bends forward while the pelvis tugs back. This is why you often hear the instruction to “bend from the hip creases” to lift the sitting bones.
The action of lifting and separating the sitting bones results in the pelvis tilting forward. If the pelvis does not tilt forward in a forward bend, the result can be either a strain or pull of the sacroiliac (SI) ligaments or sciatica. This happens more often in seated forward bends, where the pelvis is fixed to the floor.
It is therefore important to avoid these poses, as well as any pose where shooting pain develops. Sciatica is often felt on one side only, so instead of taking Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend), try Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Forward Bend).
If the pain shoots from the lower back, bring the leg in toward the groin on the side you are not experiencing sciatica. If it is located more in your buttocks, bring in the leg in which you experience the pain. If bringing one leg in still makes you suffer from the shooting nerve pain, avoid seated forward bends altogether.
And a video by Ester Ekhart performing the exercises.
Sciatica Pain Flare Up
Sciatica pain can flare up when the sciatic nerve is irritated and the usual cause is from compression somewhere. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve inside the human body with the nerve roots branching from away down in the lower back. The nerve starts from the spine and runs down both legs. The nerve in turn branches further into the calf, foot and toes.
Symptoms associated with the sciatica pain are leg ache, numbness or foot soreness. When agony flares up what physical exercises may be accomplished to bring relief?
The sciatica exercise program involve three areas which are strengthening, stretching and low impact aerobic workouts. Not only is strengthening the back vital, but also the supporting muscle tissues require a workout. By working on all these elements a person can decrease sciatica discomfort considerably. Strengthen the abdominal and back muscle groups with some basic work outs like curl-ups, sit-ups seem to provide the most benefit.
Stretching may be the second part of a balanced sciatica exercise program. The muscle groups can get tight and produce pressure on the lower part of the back. The hamstring when overly tight can also aggravate the sciatica nerve considerably. This is my own personal area of discomfort and I therefore practice various hamstring stretching in my sciatic nerve exercise program.
