Aug 3rd, 2016

Category: Thoughts & Motivation

Sciatic Care and Stretches for Achieving Well Being

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

Common symptoms of sciatica include:

Pain in the rear or leg that is worse when sitting

Burning or tingling down the leg

Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot

A constant pain on one side of the rear

A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up

Sciatica usually affects only one side of the lower body.  Often, the pain extends from the lower back all the way through the back of the thigh and down through the leg.  Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, the pain may also extend to the foot or toes.

For some people, the pain from sciatica can be severe and debilitating.  For others, the sciatica pain might be infrequent and irritating, but has the potential to get worse.

Seek immediate medical attention if you have progressive lower extremity weakness, numbness in the upper thighs, and or loss of bladder or bowel control.

What causes Sciatica?

Sciatica is caused by irritation of the roots of the lower lumbar and lumbosacral spine.

Additional common causes of sciatica include:

Lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back)

Degenerative disc disease (breakdown of discs, which act as cushions between the vertebrae)

Spondylolisthesis (a condition in which one vertebra slips forward over another one)

Pregnancy

Other things that may make your back pain worse include being overweight, not exercising regularly, wearing high heels, or sleeping on a mattress that is too soft.

 

Sciatica is not a diagnosis in itself, but a symptom of an underlying condition.

When icing, lie on stomach and place ice on buttock.

While it may seem counterintuitive, EXERCISE IS USUALLY BETTER FOR RELIEVING SCIATIC PAIN THAN BED REST.  Patients may rest for a day or two after their sciatic pain flares up, but after that time period, inactivity will usually make the pain worse.

Without exercise and movement, the back muscles and spinal structures become deconditioned and less able to support the back.  The deconditioning and weakening can lead to back injury and strain, which causes additional pain.  In addition, active exercise is also important for the health of the spinal discs.  Movement helps exchange nutrients and fluids within the discs to keep them healthy and prevent pressure on the sciatic nerve.

 

Movements that will assist you in Achieving Well Being

 

Lying on the floor, with your back rooted into the mat:

Draw both knees toward chest, arms behind the thighs, draw thighs down into chest

Gently move from side to side

Hands on top on knees, goal being to kneed back into the mat, ten large circles moving the legs away from the head in a circular motion and then reverses the circle so that you are drawing the knees toward the head, but continue circular movements and kneading.

Now refer to your TOTAL BODY FLEXIBILITY HANDOUT or FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY DVD.

Please be mindful to work within your own body mechanics first and foremost.  When Flexibility Conditioning, work within your comfort zone.  On a scale of 1-5, work with a 3.  At 4, my muscles are quaking, shaking and quivering;  level 5 is knife like and sharp.  Please do not work in levels 4 and 5.  Work on body alignment ques and then work on your range of movement. Focus and concentrate on all:

HIP STRETCHES

BACK STRETCHES

HAMSTRING STRETCHES

Refer to you Piriformis Informational Packet and perform explained guidelines

Once all your stretches have been completed, utilize your tennis ball performing the tennis ball routine of the SATURN RINGS.

Once complete, performing your plantar fascia packet, mobilizing your plantar fascia and calves will give additional relief and aid in the process of achieving optimal well being.

Yours in Health and Happiness,

Kirsten