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How can I ease the symptoms of sciatica? What is the best thing to help sciatica? How to Naturally Treat the Signs and Symptoms of Sciatica Sciatica is an injury due to the inflammation or compression of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica can be acquired when you are engaging in activities that compress or irritate the spinal nerve roots specifically S1, S2, S3, L4, and L5. You will feel a burning sensation that can run down to your buttocks, leg, and foot. Additionally, you can also acquire sciatica in simple things like sitting with a thick wallet, improper sitting position, wrong positioning when sleeping, and lifting up heavy things that put extreme pressure on your back. In the moment that you feel pain in your lower back, especially on the sacral and lumbar area, you should seek out expert advice and get a clear diagnosis. You will be assessed by a physical examination, neurological test and your medical history. Once you are diagnosed with sciatica, you must seek out the best treatment options. Sciatica treatment depends on how severe the pain is. The more severe, the more complicated the treatment plan tends to be. It is best to diagnose this condition as early as possible, as you don't want to delay the treatment due to the possibility that the pain pattern will worsen. A natural treatment method for sciatica is suggested because it can offer great relief, especially for minor sciatica cases. Diet and Supplementation - Choosing a healthy diet offers good protection for any kind of sickness. Having a good diet will help you to nourish your body with with the right vitamins and minerals. Supplementation is also needed to provide extra nutrition, especially calcium and magnesium which play important roles in maintaining a health nervous system and avoiding muscle spasm. Massage Therapy (Exercise) - Massage therapy is another great approach for sciatica. It can help to restore the strength and improve circulation.. It can also correct the overlapping and compression of nerves that causes pain. Application of different topical pain killers will also help in offering a soothing effect when doing the massage. Heat compresses are also useful because they can help in dilating the compressed nerves and facilitate blood circulation which can re-supply oxygen to the sciatic nerves. Osteopathic Manipulation is done for more severe forms of sciatica. Spinal manipulation will help to take off the compression from the sciatic nerves. Herbal Therapy - there are different kinds of herbal plants that are good to treat inflammation. Boswella and White Willow are some examples of natural anti-inflammatory herbs that can help in relieving the pain. Sciatica can be a stubborn condition to treat, so it's important to experiment with a variety of treatment options to see what works best for you. You can learn more about sciatica signs by clicking this link and visiting my website at here
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Effective Piriformis Muscle Release with self-myofascial and ball massage techniques and effective stretches to get you relief at home.
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A tight piriformis is one of the major causes of sciatic pain. We look at the anatomy of the hip and which yoga poses can help.
Dear readers, this sequence is very gentle but does contain a few backbends, so if you have lower back issues or injuries, proceed with extreme caution or consult a professional first. As a therapeutic sequence, it will work best if you do the stretches once a day. You may get better results if you do it twice: morning and night, but don't overdo it. Also, if another activity that you are doing - for instance, yoga - is causing your sciatica, this may not be enough to relieve your symptoms. You may have to ease off your other activity for a while if you want to feel results. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sciatica is a broad term used for pain relating to an inflammation or pinching of the sciatic nerve. The pain is usually felt in the lower back around the sacrum area, in the hips, or along the backs of the thighs. Sciatica is complicated by the fact that the sciatic nerve attaches at several points along the lower spine, and then runs all the way down your leg (it's the largest nerve bundle in the body after the spinal cord!), so the inflammation could be caused at any point along the nerve, and not necessarily where the pain is felt. Sciatica can often be caused by repetitive motions or postures, such as pushing the gas pedal while driving or sitting cross-legged for extended periods. In yoga, sciatica is often associated with forward bending. While by no means a miracle cure, this sequence targets the SI joint and the piriformis muscle, two areas of the body where sciatic irritation often occurs. The entire sequence could take 15-20 minutes, depending on how quickly you move. If you have time you will get the best results by focusing on slowing down your breath and trying to make your exhalations about twice as long as your inhalations. NB: One of the WORST things you can do if you have sciatica is to overstretch the already irritated areas. Although you might think that stretching it more will make the pain go away, this is actually likely to inflame the nerve even more and make your symptoms worse. So instead, use gentle movements and deep breathing to bring your body to a state of relaxation and allow it to heal. Sciatica Sequence 1. Apanasana: Warms up the lower back while keeping the SI joint stable. Begin lying on your back with your knees to your chest. Place your hands on top of your knees. As you inhale, push the knees away from your body. As you exhale, hug the knees to the chest. Repeat 4-6 times. 2. Hip circles: Warms up the hips while keeping the SI joint stable. After your next exhalation, as you inhale let the knees come out wide and begin a circular motion - circling the knees out and up to centre as you inhale, drawing them to the chest as you exhale. Do 4-6 circles in each direction. 3. Supta eka padangustasana: Warms up the hamstrings. Release your left knee and let the foot touch the floor, keeping the left knee bent. Clasp your hands behind the right knee - use a hand towel if you can't comfortably reach. Inhale, stretch the right leg straight up (keeping the foot active, with the toes flexed back towards you!), exhale, bend the knee and bring it down. Repeat 6-10 times, then switch sides. Optionally, proceed to Step 4 on the first side before switching. Hug your knees to your chest when done. 4. Upside-down pigeon: Stretches the gluts and opens the hip joint. Place the left foot on the floor about a foot away from your body. Bring your right leg towards your chest and gently cross the right ankle over the left knee. Keep both feet lightly flexed. Now, gently walk the left foot closer towards your body until you can reach through to grasp the back of the left thigh or the front of the shin. Use your hands (or a strap) to gently pull yourself deeper into the stretch. You should feel a fairly strong stretch in your right glut (that's your butt, folks) and your right hip. If you feel any pain or twinging in your right knee, ease off immediately! Hold for about 1 minute, then do the other side. When you're done hug both knees to your chest. 5. Supine Crescent pose: Gives a lateral stretch to the spine and the glut medius. Lie flat on the floor with your feet together and your arms stretched all the way out behind you. Move your right foot out to one side. Then bring the left foot to meet the right foot. Now move your right arm out to one side, and bring the left hand towards the right, so you are lying in a crescent moon shape. Breathe here for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then repeat on the other side. Hug both knees to your chest when done. 6. Jathara Parvritti: Stretches and releases the piriformis. Move both hips a few inches to the right side. Extend the left leg straight out on the floor. Place the right foot on the floor about level with your left knee, and let your arms stretch out to either side. As you exhale, let the right knee fall towards the left side (but keep your right shoulder on the ground). As you inhale, slowly lift the right knee up about 2 inches and hold it there. As you exhale, release it back down. Repeat 4 times and then stay in the "exhale" position for about 30 seconds - then continue on to Step 7. 7. Jathara Parvritti II: Stretches the piriformis and the glut max. This is a big stretch, so be gentle and skip it if it's too much! From position 6, as you inhale, straighten the right leg. As you exhale, bend the right knee again. Repeat 4 times and then stay about 30 seconds with the leg outstretched. Use a book or a chair to support the foot so that your right shoulder stays on the ground! Now, as you inhale, lift the straight right leg about 2 inches and hold it there. As you exhale, bring it back down. Repeat 4 times and then stay in the "exhale" position for 30 seconds - 1 minute before slowly coming out. Repeat 6 and 7 on the left hand side. When done both sides, hug both knees to your chest. 8. Bridge pose: Stretches the psoas muscle. Place both feet on the ground, about sitting-bone distance apart so that your thighs and feet are in line with one another. As you inhale, lift your tailbone and slowly peel your spine away from the floor, coming into bridge pose. As you exhale, release your spine with control, vertebrae by vertebrae. This should be done gently with an emphasis on keeping the length of the spine - don't go very high if you experience any pain. Repeat 4-6 times. When you are done, hug your knees to your chest for a few breaths. 9. Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose: Strengthens the lower back muscles, which stabilise the SI joint. Lie on your belly with your palms resting underneath the shoulders (elbows tucked in) and your feet together on the floor. This is position A. Exhale, engaging the abdominals. Inhale and look forward, gently lifting your chest up off the floor (the lower ribs and everything below them stay on the floor!). Exhale, come down. Theeet (1metre) apart (position C). Then work your way back to position A. The 2nd time, bring the feet about 2 feet (60cm) apart (position B). The 3rd time, bring the feet about 3 feet (1metre) apart (position C). Then work your way back to position A. 10. One-legged Cobra: Strengthens the lower back muscles and works the SI joint asymetrically. From Position A, above, on an inhalation lift your chest off the floor and bend the right knee. Exhale back down. Inhale, lift the chest and left knee. Repeat twice on each side. NB - the "exhale" photo shows you coming back to position A with the chest lifted - but actually you should come all the way down until your forehead touches the ground! 11. Full cobra Pose: Strengthens the lower back muscles and works the SI joint symetrically. From Position A, inhale and lift the chest and both knees. Exhale back down. Repeat this four times. NB - the "exhale" photo shows you coming back to position A with the chest lifted - but actually you should come all the way down until your forehead touches the ground! When you are done, if your lower back is feeling a bit worked, rest a few breaths in child's pose (see step 13). If this is too intense on your lower back, skip straight to the next pose, or alternate between 11 and 12 each time you do the sequence. 12. Locust pose variation: Works the spinal extensors, the piriformis, and the gluteus maximus. Come to Position A of step 9, above, but this time also lift both feet off the floor. The focus here is not on height, but on lengthening the legs behind you. From here, turn the toes of both feet outwards, and bring the legs wide apart. Then, turn the toes inwards and bring the feet back together until the toes are touching. Come down and rest, then repeat this four times. NB - if you are like me and have a sensitive pelvic bone, put a folded up towel/blanket or a pillow underneath your pelvis when you do this pose. 13. Child's pose: Counter-pose to backbending. Come to your hands and knees, and then drop the buttocks back towards the heels. Bring your hands back towards your feet and rest your forehead on the floor (or a book/block/blanket). Stay for at least 30 seconds. 14. Savasana: Allows your body to absorb the benefits of the practice! Lie flat on your back in final resting pose, placing a rolled up towel / blanket / yoga mat underneath the knees. You can also place your lower legs on a chair seat! This releases the lower back and the backs of the legs. Stay here for a minimum of 3 minutes, breathing naturally and letting go of all tension in your body. If you enjoy visualisations try the following: as you inhale, visualise a wave of warm, pure, healing water entering your body from the top of your head and moving towards your lower back and legs. As you exhale, visualise the wave leaving your body, taking with it all tension and stress.
Effective Piriformis Muscle Release with self-myofascial and ball massage techniques and effective stretches to get you relief at home.
How To Get A Deep Piriformis Stretch To Get Rid of Sciatica, Hip & Lower Back Pain
Ease into these gentle stretches to fix your low back pain.
Years ago I developed sciatica as a consequence of a martial arts injury. I had seen a number of doctors who finally diagnosed it as an entrapment syndrome involving the piriformis muscle and the sciatic nerve. I tried, unsuccessfully, all of the conservative methods to treat it, including physical therapy, massage, manipulation—you name it. Finally, it looked like I would either have to live with the pain or have surgery—for which there was no guarantee of success. As it happened, one day I wandered into a yoga class at the Ann Arbor YMCA. I remember being impressed by how different (and difficult) a yoga class was, even though I was used to hard physical training from playing sports; we were working with the body in ways I had never experienced and using precise movements and muscular engagements I hadn’t seen in other exercise methods. Not only did I feel great after my first class but also, to my surprise, the next day I noticed that my sciatic pain was greatly improved. Putting two and two together, I started going regularly to classes at YMCA (and later, the basement of a church). As long as I went to class, my sciatica no longer bothered me. With this in mind, let’s take a look at piriformis syndrome. Piriformis Syndrome: Piriformis syndrome is characterized by buttock and/or hip pain that may radiate into the leg as a form of sciatica. This syndrome is thought to result from spasm of the piriformis which causes irritation of the sciatic nerve as it passes across (or through) the muscle. Spasm in the piriformis can be precipitated by an athletic injury or other trauma. The mainstay of treatment involves stretching the piriformis and its neighboring external hip rotators, with surgery to release the muscle reserved for recalcitrant cases. Click here to review the anatomy and biomechanics of the piriformis muscle. Tightness or asymmetries in the piriformis muscle can create rotational pelvic imbalances. This, in turn, can lead to imbalances further up the spinal column, through the process of "joint rhythm". Click here to learn more about lumbar pelvic rhythm in our previous blog post on Preventative Strategies for Lower Back Strains. Below in the links is a reference to an article from the Osteopathic literature addressing this subject in relation to the piriformis muscle. Figure 1 is an illustration of the relationship of the sciatic nerve to the piriformis muscle. Approximately 80% of the time the nerve passes anterior to the muscle, exiting below the piriformis. The sciatic nerve can also divide above the muscle, with one branch passing through the piriformis and another branch passing anterior. This variation occurs about 14% of the time. Other variations include the undivided nerve passing through the muscle and the divisions passing both anterior and posterior to the piriformis (without penetrating the muscle). Note that the sciatic nerve can penetrate the muscle without ever causing pain or other symptoms (as is usually the case). Persons with this variation may, however, be predisposed to developing piriformis syndrome from an injury. Various relationships of the sciatic nerve to the piriformis muscle. Diagnosis of piriformis syndrome is accomplished through a careful history and physical examination as well as radiological studies. The physical exam includes the FAIR test (flexion, adduction, internal rotation of the hip). Click here for an example of this test. Note that other causes of sciatica must be excluded before making the final diagnosis of piriformis syndrome. These include a herniated disc causing nerve root compression. Similarly, pathology affecting the hip joint must also be excluded. Accordingly, if you have sciatic type pain, be sure to consult a health care practitioner who is appropriately trained and qualified to diagnose and manage such conditions. To review, when the hip is in a neutral position, the piriformis acts to externally rotate (turn outward), flex and abduct the hip joint. When the hip is flexed beyond about 60 degrees the piriformis becomes an internal rotator and extensor (and remains an abductor). Muscles stretch when we move a joint in the opposite direction of the action of the muscle. Click here for a review of the piriformis muscle, its attachments and action, and the mechanism of Reverse Pigeon Pose (video below). Figures 2-5 illustrate several yoga poses that stretch the piriformis. Parvritta trikonasana and the rotating version of Supta padangustasana lengthen the muscle by adducting and flexing the hip. Similarly, Parsva bakasana and Marichyasana III adduct and flex the hip joint, thus stretching the muscle (which an extensor and abductor when the hip is flexing). Figure 2. Piriformis stretching in supta padangusthasana. Figure 3. Piriformis stretching in Parvritta trikonasana. Figure 4. Piriformis stretching in Marichyasana III. Figure 5. Piriformis stretching in Parsva bakasana. Figure 6. Supported setu bandha - a recovery pose which maintains the piriformis in a relaxed position. Video 1 demonstrates stretching of the piriformis in Reverse Pigeon Pose. This asana stretches the muscle by externally rotating and flexing the hip. Video 2 illustrates the technique for using mysofascial connections to protect the knee joint in this pose. Click here for the details of this technique. Now you're ready to take the Bandha Yoga QuickQuiz for the piriformis muscle! Click here to start. An excerpt from "Yoga Mat Companion 4 - Anatomy for Arm Balances and Inversions". An excerpt from "Yoga Mat Companion 2 - Anatomy for Hip Openers and Forward Bends". Thanks for stopping by. If you would like to learn more about combining modern Western science and yoga, feel free to browse through The Key Muscles and Key Poses of Yoga, as well as the Yoga Mat Companion series by clicking here. Many thanks for your support in sharing us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus! All the Best, Ray Long, MD References: Pokorný D, Jahoda D, Veigl D, Pinskerová V, Sosna A. “Topographic variations of the relationship of the sciatic nerve and the piriformis muscle and its relevance to palsy after total hip arthroplasty.” Surg Radiol Anat. 2006 Mar;28(1):88-91. Boyajian-O'Neill LA, McClain RL, Coleman MK, Thomas PP “Diagnosis and management of piriformis syndrome: an osteopathic approach.” J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2008 Nov;108(11):657-64. Filler AG, Haynes J, Jordan SE, Prager J, Villablanca JP, Farahani K, McBride DQ, Tsuruda JS, Morisoli B, Batzdorf U, Johnson JP. “Sciatica of nondisc origin and piriformis syndrome: diagnosis by magnetic resonance neurography and interventional magnetic resonance imaging with outcome study of resulting treatment.” J Neurosurg Spine. 2005 Feb;2(2):99-115. Rodrigue T, Hardy RW. “Diagnosis and treatment of piriformis syndrome.” Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2001 Apr;12(2):311-9. Papadopoulos EC, Khan SN. “Piriformis syndrome and low back pain: a new classification and review of the literature.” Orthop Clin North Am. 2004 Jan;35(1):65-71.
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stolen from here
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