By Faye Martins
To understand how yoga for sciatica can help you, it is important to understand what sciatica is in the first place. Sciatica is a painful condition resulting from compression, irritation, or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs from the lower spine down the back of each leg. Sciatica can be caused by an injury arising from a slipped disk, pregnancy, pelvic fracture, or tight muscles in your lower back, legs and hips. Often the discomfort is felt on one side of the body, depending on whether the right or the left nerve has been affected.
Pain from sciatica is characteristic. It usually radiates from the lower back down the leg or foot in a pattern that is characteristic of the way the nerve runs in your body.
Yoga Exercises and Sciatica Treatment
Yoga is a form of mind and body exercise that seeks to provide balance to your body. Some of these exercises can be used to reduce the pain associated with sciatica and even heal the condition completely. However, yoga exercises for sciatica are better suited as a rehabilitation option rather than an actual stand-alone treatment.
Yoga Poses for Sciatica
Not all yoga exercises work to cure a problem with the sciatic nerve. Only a few poses are suitable for this purpose. Some of the top poses for healing and restoration include:
- Half moon. If your sciatica symptoms are caused by prolonged sitting or standing, this pose will bring you relief. It involves stretching of the outer leg to target the affected area.
- Seated spinal twist. This creates some movement in your lower spine, which relaxes the affected muscles, especially the piriformis muscle.
- Lizard pose. This pose opens up your hip region. It also offers a nice, relaxing stretch to your hip flexor muscle.
- Locust. This is a relaxing pose that unwinds tight muscles as well as strengthens them.
- Pigeon. This pose targets areas of sciatica discomfort in your lower back, thighs, and hips. This pose has a variation called Figure Four, which targets the piriformis muscle, which is one of the top causes of sciatica.
- Reclining big toe pose. You perform this pose with a bent knee. This pose focuses on stretching your lower back and the hamstring of your raised leg.
- Half wheel. This pose engages the hamstring and the glutes. These are some of the muscles commonly affected by sciatica.
These are just some of the yoga poses you can use to heal your sciatica pain. However, you have to do them the right way to get the relief you need.
Point to Remember
Yoga for sciatica can be successful in relieving the discomfort of sciatica and healing it completely. However, you need to remember that all these poses have to be comfortable for you to get the results you expect. You can modify the poses when necessary.
How often should you perform the poses to get the results you need? Well, practicing the poses a few minutes a day for a couple of days can ease the pain and in some cases, eliminate the condition.
If the sciatica persists, you might be performing the poses the wrong way. You need to consult with a professional yoga instructor to find out how to perform these poses to your advantage.
To understand how yoga for sciatica can help you, it is important to understand what sciatica is in the first place. Sciatica is a painful condition resulting from compression, irritation, or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs from the lower spine down the back of each leg. Sciatica can be caused by an injury arising from a slipped disk, pregnancy, pelvic fracture, or tight muscles in your lower back, legs and hips. Often the discomfort is felt on one side of the body, depending on whether the right or the left nerve has been affected.
Pain from sciatica is characteristic. It usually radiates from the lower back down the leg or foot in a pattern that is characteristic of the way the nerve runs in your body.
Yoga Exercises and Sciatica Treatment
Yoga is a form of mind and body exercise that seeks to provide balance to your body. Some of these exercises can be used to reduce the pain associated with sciatica and even heal the condition completely. However, yoga exercises for sciatica are better suited as a rehabilitation option rather than an actual stand-alone treatment.
Yoga Poses for Sciatica
Not all yoga exercises work to cure a problem with the sciatic nerve. Only a few poses are suitable for this purpose. Some of the top poses for healing and restoration include:
- Half moon. If your sciatica symptoms are caused by prolonged sitting or standing, this pose will bring you relief. It involves stretching of the outer leg to target the affected area.
- Seated spinal twist. This creates some movement in your lower spine, which relaxes the affected muscles, especially the piriformis muscle.
- Lizard pose. This pose opens up your hip region. It also offers a nice, relaxing stretch to your hip flexor muscle.
- Locust. This is a relaxing pose that unwinds tight muscles as well as strengthens them.
- Pigeon. This pose targets areas of sciatica discomfort in your lower back, thighs, and hips. This pose has a variation called Figure Four, which targets the piriformis muscle, which is one of the top causes of sciatica.
- Reclining big toe pose. You perform this pose with a bent knee. This pose focuses on stretching your lower back and the hamstring of your raised leg.
- Half wheel. This pose engages the hamstring and the glutes. These are some of the muscles commonly affected by sciatica.
These are just some of the yoga poses you can use to heal your sciatica pain. However, you have to do them the right way to get the relief you need.
Point to Remember
Yoga for sciatica can be successful in relieving the discomfort of sciatica and healing it completely. However, you need to remember that all these poses have to be comfortable for you to get the results you expect. You can modify the poses when necessary.
How often should you perform the poses to get the results you need? Well, practicing the poses a few minutes a day for a couple of days can ease the pain and in some cases, eliminate the condition.
If the sciatica persists, you might be performing the poses the wrong way. You need to consult with a professional yoga instructor to find out how to perform these poses to your advantage.
Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Centre in, Attleboro, MA.
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