Do you have pain or tingling/numbness that starts on one side of your back and goes down your leg? YOU MAY HAVE SCIATICA!
Sciatica is caused by a pinched nerve in your back or hip that causes pain or numbness/tingling to shoot down your leg. It is often painful to walk or to lift your leg up into a car or bed. This can be very painful and debilitating. Sciatica often starts when bending the wrong way or lifting something too heavy.
RELIEVE
How does myofascial release help?
MFR Helps to release the facia surrounding the muscles and tissues around the large sciatic nerve. When the pressure on the nerve subsides the pain, numbness, and tingling does too.
RESTORE
After myofascial treatment to release tight tissues maintain with....
Stretches
1. In seated position with chest up and curve in low back, cross painful leg over opposite leg at knee. Lean foreword leading with chest until you feel a stretch. Hold for 3-5 minutes. You can do this stretch on your back too, but bring legs to your chest instead of chest to legs and place a rolled towel in the curve of your low back. Be sure to only go to resistance and hold
2. On your back pull the painful leg over your other leg, extend upwards towards your head and across your body until you feel a stretch. Hold for 3-5 minutes.
3. On your stomach raise your body up with your arms and then to hands. (Cobra yoga pose)
4. Cross painful leg in front of you while seated on floor and extend the other leg behind you ( pigeon yoga pose)
Exercises
1. On hands and knees. Raise affected leg straight up with knee bent. Be sure that arms are under shoulders and other leg is under hip.
2. Another exercise is the “clam”. In side lying with knees bent lift painful leg up and down.
ALWAYS use good posture!
Sit/stand always keeping curve in low back. In standing, hips in alignment over ankles as well as knees in midline. In seated position 90 degrees at ankle, knees, and hips.
When bending to pick up items bend at the knee, keep heavy items close to your body, and lift with your legs.
When sleeping in sidling keep pillow between your knees, on back pillow under your knees, and on stomach pillow under hips
RENEW
Stress is a major factor affecting chronic pain. According to Web MD stress is a reaction to perceived or real threat that causes our bodies to go into "fight or flight" so we are ready to take on the threat.
Some physical symptoms of stress are low energy; headaches; aches, pains, and tense muscles; chest pain and rapid heartbeat; insomnia; frequent colds and infection; clenched jaw and grinding teeth (TMJ)
Some consequences of long term stress include cardiovacular disease; high blood pressure; gastrointestinal problems (GERD, IBS, ulcers); and mental health problems.
For these reasons it is important to manage stress as well as to relieve pain and restore function.