3 Exercises That’ll Help Relieve Your Sciatica Pain

From rivercountry.newschannelnebraska.com

You’re having sciatica pain? You’re not alone.

In The United States, more than 40 percent of people will experience sciatica nerve pain in their life.

Sciatic pain can feel like numbness, tingling feeling, electronic shock, stabbing pain, and soreness. Each episode is different.

If you have sudden, severe pain in your lower back or trouble controlling your bladder and bowels as a result of your sciatica, call your medical care professional immediately.

For those looking to ease the discomfort, here are three simple exercises that’ll help relieve your sciatica pain.

Read on to learn more.

                                                             Photo from pexels

What are the Sciatica?

The sciatica are two thick nerves the width of your smallest finger. They stretch from the lower spine through the buttocks and both legs, all the way to the big toes.

Typically, sciatica pain only affects one side of your body.

Sciatica pain is caused when the nerve is pinched by a:

• Herniated disk
• Overgrown bone in your vertebrae
• Tumour

You are at higher risk for sciatica if you suffer from obesity, sit for prolonged periods of time, are diabetic, or are over the age of sixty.

To help ease sciatica pain, incorporate stretches as a part of your sciatica treatment.

1. Knee to Chest

One of the best exercises for sciatica pain is the knee to chest stretch. Lie down on your back on a plush surface, such as a carpet or mat. For extra comfort, add a cushion under your head.

Bend both knees and lay your feet flat on the ground. Grab one leg with both hands just below the knee and gently pull it towards your chest. Don’t forget to only pull your knee to a comfortable distance. Your other foot should still be on the ground.

Hold this stretch for twenty seconds and repeat three times on each leg. Remember to breathe deeply.

2. Knee to Opposite Shoulder

This exercise is a more advanced version of the knee to chest stretch. This time, pull your knee to the opposite shoulder. For example, pull your right leg towards your left shoulder.

Hold for twenty seconds and repeat three times on each leg.

3. Sit and Twist Stretch

This is one of the most highly recommended sciatic stretches for easing sciatica pain. Sit on the ground. Extend both legs forward and flex your two feet upward. Bend your left leg and pull it across the extended right leg.

Put your right elbow on the outside of your left knee. Slowly turn your body to the right. Only rotate to comfort.

Hold this stretch for thirty seconds and repeat three times on each side.

Sciatica Pain

Sciatica pain can cause you excruciating pain. Don’t let this pain hold you back from your daily life. Use these handy exercises to help relieve your sciatica nerve pain and get you back to living life.

If any stretches cause more pain, stop them immediately. Call your health care professional if your pain continues to worsen or does not improve.

https://rivercountry.newschannelnebraska.com/story/42142923/3-exercises-thatll-help-relieve-your-sciatica-pain

Benefits of Massage Therapy and Relaxation

By Jenni Withnall

Breathe in, breathe out and Relax...

After a long day or week at work one of the best things is to be able to take some time out and recuperate. One of the most known things about our lifestyles in this modern age is that a lot of people are under stress; with work deadlines, busy social lives and even more demanding family lives, your body creates tension and the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol is known to contribute to the lack of sleep, weight gain, digestive issues and headaches. Massage therapy is known to reduce these levels of cortisol within the body, therefore contributing to the improvement on relaxation, improving mood and reducing the level of stress on the body. As well as reducing these stress levels, regular massages can assist overall physical and mental well-being.

Reduces stress, tension, anxiety and depression

The body can work in many different ways, and the build-up of stress through our daily lives is often one of these results. The decreasing of this emotional and physical distress is important in order for us to help improve our personal wellbeing and health. As your bodies stress levels increase, so does the hormone which your body produces, cortisol. When you receive a sixty minute massage, these cortisol levels are known to reduce, while at the same time the bodies anti-pain hormone serotonin levels start to increase. This change within the hormones your body releases, assists and helps you fight off pain, anxiety and feelings of sadness.

It is known that the emotional benefits from massages are equally as important as the physical. A massage helps offer a relaxing and peaceful environment, so you are able to refocus and find clarity. It often helps an individual connect through mind and body. The nurturing touch, assists with the need for human contact, bringing alongside, a sense of calm and inner tranquillity. These are all factors which can work towards helping relieve the tension and stress levels in the body.

Lower blood pressure

It has been found that regular massage and consistent sessions can help decrease blood pressure over time. With the reduction of the cortisol levels, comes a possibility to help regulate the bodies mood and reduce anxiety triggers, tension and depression. Massage therapy is often used for pre-hypertension. Long term studies have shown that a massage program can help reduce specific types of blood pressure by reducing cortisol stress-hormones levels, and therefore decreasing depression and anxiety as well as other further benefits.

Relax muscle tension

One of the main reasons why people opt for massages is to help reduce painful muscle tension, by eliminating those tensions and knots within the muscles. Massaging the tension of muscles and joints by reducing swelling helps the body to be able to relax overall. The technique used to reduce these swellings and joint pains can help increase the amount of nutrition's and oxygen delivered to the affected area. This increase of activity to the tissues helps with stiffness and swelling in the muscles and the joints, while doing so the flexibility to the area minimises pain. The use of massage therapy releases endorphins that in turn boosts dopamine and serotine levels. The release of these hormones assist the body in many ways including physically as well as mentally.

Improve circulation

The improvement of circulation in the body often contributes to a snowball effect if regular massages are had. Moving rich healthy blood to the damaged tissue. The use of hands on pressure on the body can improve its blood circulation by moving blood through the damaged and congested tissue and muscles. Realising the pressure on the muscles helps new blood flow into these areas of tissue. Another benefit of massage therapy is that the movements and muscle manipulation increases the lactic acid within the muscles. This then results in the balancing of the lymph fluid circulation. This system helps carry metabolic waste from the internal organs and muscles; improving overall body function.

Stand up tall, improve your posture

When you get a massage, whether it is a full body massage or just the head, neck and shoulders, the body has the opportunity to relax, release tension and increase motion. Often when you have had a bad posture this release of tension and the muscles have a chance to relax. When the muscles relax your body is able to reposition itself in its natural corrected position. Massaging also helps with easing the pressure on joints. Depending on the type of massage you receive, the masseuse may be experienced in muscle manipulation, helping to relieve the knots and manipulate the pressure within the skeleton and help stretch your body out and realign, helping to improve your posture. Specialist massages such as these should be taken under professional guidance and you should seek advice from a chiropractor who has extensive knowledge in the field before proceeding with such activities.

Strengthen immune system

During our busy lifestyles, the implications of stress on the body partnered with poor nutrition and bad sleep patterns can take a massive toll on our bodies and the immune systems natural defence Along with all of the different benefits which we have explored so far in this article, another benefit of massage therapy is the effects it can have on an individuals immune system. We are all familiar with the positive attributes it has towards a persons wellbeing and overall mood, but it is also known to help the immune system. Massage can help fight common cold and flu symptoms as well as improve the way in which the immune system functions. Such massages as Swedish massage techniques are known to decrease Arginine Vasopressin, a hormone related to aggressive behaviour as well as the hormone cortisol (stress hormone) earlier discussed. Such benefits and ways in which regulate the nervous system, stimulating the circulatory system and lymphatic systems. It also helps alleviate arthritis and sciatica pain.

Helps with sleep

In order for your body to function at its optimal levels, and for you to be at your personal healthiest and for wellbeing, it is imperative for you to get enough sleep. It is advised that adults get a total of 7hours a night in order to achieve this, while children are dependent on age, but are more than adults. When your body does not achieve these levels of sleep, although you may think you are fine, your body in fact is not going to perform at the best levels in all areas. Such symptoms of lack of sleep your body may display include low working performance, slower reaction times, and fatigue issues, and furthermore result in lower moods and overall well-being.

It is often recommended that nutrition and exercise is incorporated into an individual's lifestyle, and sleep quality is one of those factors. The release of cortisol from the body and the tensions within the muscles during a massage help relieve the recipient's aches and pain, helping with the built up stress.

The calming atmosphere and often essential oils help reduce the bodies stress levels, both contributing to the relaxation of a massage. With frequent massage therapy, the body is known to be able to deal with stress better, and therefore leading to a better, more peaceful nights sleep.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-Massage-Therapy-and-Relaxation&id=10285651

Do Foam Back Rollers Work for Sciatica Pain?

From newscase.com

Sciatica is an ailment that affects close to 50% of adults at one point or the other. It occurs when the sciatic nerve gets irritated. It is characterized by pain which extends from the back, through the thighs, and all the way to the legs.
While sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated, it is expressed in various people differently. There are those that go through a burning feeling, others simply notice a dull pain.

When sciatica occurs, the best way to keep it in check is to prevent the muscles from contracting. Such situations as sneezing, coughing, staying in one position for a long, either sitting, or standing can make sciatica very terrible.
Although lots of people treat sciatica as a disease, it is not a disease in itself. It is a symptom of various deviations from the normal state of health. Usually, the pain associated with sciatica is felt when a piriformis muscle is inflamed as well as when a disc gets herniated.

Can Sciatica be remedied with the use of foam rollers?

Since sciatica is simply a symptom of something more serious, for it to be treated, its cause has to be identified.

If sciatica does not last for more than a couple of hours, you might not need any special treatment. However, if it persists for a couple of days you will need to pay your doctor a visit.

Since sciatica can be treated by using various exercises and is not caused by just one issue, there are several exercises that are needed for it to be properly managed. These exercises can be done with a foam roller.

How Can a foam Roller be used in Treating Sciatica?

There are lots of exercises that can be achieved with the use of a foam roller. When treating sciatica, the exact exercise to be carried out is a lot dependent on the cause of sciatica.

Let’s walk through some of the ways in which a foam roller can be used to remedy sciatica.

Foam Roll the Hamstring

Sciatica occurs when the hamstring is tight. Due to this, one of the treatments for sciatica is to make use of a foam roller in rolling the hamstrings.

Why is foam rolling the hamstring important?
When the hamstring is tight, it leads to pressure in the lower back. This pressure in the lower back is often expressed as pain in the lower back. While foam rolling the hamstring can go a long way in loosening the hamstring, it is also effective in reducing the level of pressure felt in the sciatic nerve.

When looking to treat sciatica by foam rolling your hamstring, for this to be effective, you will need to foam roll your hamstring about two times every day. While lots of people will stop rolling their hamstrings as soon as they feel relief, that would be the wrong approach. Even after feeling relief, you should not stop foam rolling your hamstring. Going on with foam rolling your hamstring after feeling some relief can go a long way in preventing injuries from arising in the future.

Foam Roll the Piriformis

The piriformis is a muscle in the hip. This small muscle is located near the glutes and is positioned just directly over the sciatic nerve.
Due to the position of the piriformis, when it gets inflamed, the sciatic nerve gets affected. Usually, the sciatic never gets compressed when the piriformis is inflamed.

It is not in your place to go on and make use of a foam roller as soon as you feel any pain which you suggest being sciatica. Once you feel any pain you assume is sciatica, you should visit your doctor if the pain persists.

A visit to your doctor will help you find out what the cause of sciatica is. So, if you discover that sciatica is caused by the inflamed piriformis, you can make use of a foam roller in a way that the piriformis will be positively affected.

While foam rolling the piriformis will help in reducing the inflammation of the piriformis, that is not all.  It will also have a positive effect on the gluteus minimus, as well as the gluteus maximus.

Now, it is one thing to know that foam rolling the piriformis can help in reducing sciatica and another thing to actually know how to foam roll the piriformis.

To foam roll your piriformis, the first thing you should do is sit on the foam roller. This should be done with your feet positioned flat on the ground and your legs bent to make angle 90 degrees. Your left ankle should be positioned on your right knee. With your right hand keeping your left ankle in position, move towards your left hip very slightly. While at this, to ensure you have the right level of stability, your left hand should be on the ground.

This is the point where you roll to and fro slowly. This should be done in one direction for about 40 seconds and the entire process repeated in the opposite direction.

Foam rolling of the piriformis should be done two times every day. It is up to you to choose how you want to get this done. This could be done in the morning and evening or first thing in the morning and right before you go on your workout routine.

Other Foam Rolling Exercises for Sciatica

Foam rolling the hamstrings and the piriformis can go a long way in reducing the pain associated with sciatica when done over time. They, however, are not the only exercises that can be done to reduce the pain associated with sciatica. There are other foam rolling exercises that can be used to remedy sciatica. One of them is;

IT Band Rollout

This exercise can come in handy if you are looking to reduce the thighs and outer hips. It is needed as sciatica pain can be responsible for tightness in the IT Band.

To go on with this exercise, the first thing you should do is lie on your foam roller. This should be in a sideways position. Lying sideways on the foam roller is important for the foam to be just under your right hip. After lying sideways, straighten your leg. Go on and bend your left knee. This should be followed by putting your left foot just at your right thigh’s front.

You should make use of your left foot and right arm to control the weight you transfer to the foam roller. To achieve this, you will need to lean towards your right.

After attaining the right position, you are ready to begin rolling up on the foam roller. Go on and roll on the foam roller in a way that it rolls in the direction of your knee. While at this, there is a tendency that you will discover a knot. As soon as you discover a knot, you should stop rolling temporarily and maintain the position for about 30 seconds. After this, you can go on with rolling on the foam.

As soon as you get to your knee, you will need to reverse the movement and roll in the direction of your hips. Roll gradually with the foam roller in the direction of your hip. Once you get to the point you started. Change your position and do the same to your second leg.

If you are suffering from sciatica and need a quick fix, you can always rely on foam rollers to get the job done.

https://www.newscase.com/do-foam-back-rollers-work-for-sciatica-pain-on-sciatic-nerve/