Sciatica Pain Relief!

What is the sciatic nerve?

Sciatic nerve pain can be so excruciating and debilitating that you don’t even want to get off the couch.

Sciatica refers to pain radiating down the path of the sciatic nerve which branches down from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down through each leg.

Common causes of sciatica can include a ruptured disk, a narrowing of the spine canal (called spinal stenosis), and injury. Sciatica can be caused by prolonged sitting, carrying heavy loads, obesity, age, and diabetes. The most common symptoms include: radiating pain between the lower back and the buttocks (although it can occur anywhere along the sciatic pathway), numbness, tingling, or weakness on the affected side. In most cases, sciatica can be resolved with non-operative cases in a few weeks.

A recommendation for Sciatica Pain Relief from strength and conditioning specialist to alleviate most sciatica pain is to do “any stretch that can externally rotate the hip to provide some relief.”

Yoga has been shown to be safe and beneficial for both the treatment and prevention of sciatica. Pain, tenderness, rigidity, difficulty walking, and pain during forward bending can be significantly decreased through the use of yoga asanas (poses). Specifically yoga poses for your lower back, hamstrings, and those that externally rotate the hip, can help you to feel better and might help relieve nerve root compression.

Use these yoga poses for Sciatica Pain Relief. All you need is a yoga mat!

Yoga Poses For Sciatica Pain Relief!

1. Child’s Pose | 10 breaths

Sitting often can lead to tightness in the lower back which can cause a pinching of the sciatic nerve. This relaxing yoga pose relieves tightness in the lower back and glutes, alleviating the pinching.

Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Bring your legs together and untuck your toes.
Sit your hips back on your heels and walk your hands forward until your chest rests on your thighs and your forehead comes to the ground.
Once your forehead is on the ground, bring your arms down alongside your legs so that your hands are reaching towards your feet. Turn your palms face up. Hold for 10 breaths.

2. Bridge Pose | 8-10 breaths

This pose helps to stretch tight hip flexors while strengthening the core to help avoid sciatica-causing injury.

Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the ground. Place your arms down alongside your body with your palms face down. Keep your feet hip-width distance and walk them close to your body.
Press your palms into the ground as you exhale and then inhale to lift your hips up towards the ceiling.
Hold for 8-10 slow breaths in and out of the nose, then slowly roll back down onto your back one vertebra at a time.

3. Pigeon | 10 breaths

This pose alleviates tightness and pinching of the sciatic nerve through the release of the lower back, glutes, and hips.

Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees.
Pick up your right leg and bring the shin forward so that it goes across the top of your mat. Line up your right knee behind your right wrist and keep the foot slightly flexed. Straighten your left leg back behind you with the toes untucked. The foot should be straight inline with your left hip. You should feel a stretch through your right outer hip and lower back.
Lift your chest and take an inhale to find a long spine. Then, exhale and walk your hands forward towards the top of the mat. Tip: You can stay on your palms or if you are feeling open, lower to your forearms. Hold for 10 slow breaths.

4. Supine Figure 4 | 10 breaths per side

This stretch relieves compression of the sciatic nerve by stretching the glutes, piriformis, and the lower back.

Begin by lying down on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet on the ground, hip-width distance apart.
Bend your right knee and place your right ankle above your left knee on the thigh. Then, pick up the left foot and thread your right hand through your legs and interlace your hands behind your left thigh.
Keep your head and shoulders on the ground as you hug the left thigh towards you. Keep your right knee open so that you feel the stretch through your outer right hip and low back. Hold for 10 breaths and then switch sides.

5. Bound Angle Pose | 8 breaths

This gentle yoga pose relieves compression of the lower back and hips.

Start seated on your mat.
Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together. Then, allow your knees to fall outwards to a butterfly position.
Inhale to sit up tall and lengthen your spine. Then take an exhale as your walk your hands forward and fold over your thighs. Hold for 8 slow breaths and then slowly sit back up on an inhale.

6. Revolved Head-To-Knee Pose | 8-10 breaths per side

This pose relieves tightness in the hips and glutes while also opening up the hamstrings. This can help those suffering from sciatica to improve their range of motion and ability to forward bend.

Begin seated on your mat. Straighten your right leg out in front of you and bend your left knee. Place your left foot on your inner right thigh or calf.
Sit up tall and take an inhale to find length through your spine. Reach your arms up overhead and draw your navel in to engage your core.
On an exhale, reach your arms and chest forward to grab the bottom of your right foot. Bend your right knee as needed to reach the foot. Then, continue to fold over your right leg with a long spine. Hold for 8-10 slow breaths, then switch sides.

7. Crossed Ankle Forward Fold | 8 breaths per side

This pose relieves tension in the lower back, hamstrings, tensor fascia latae, and gluteus medius – helping to prevent or reduce compression on the sciatic nerve.

Start by standing up on your mat. Cross your right ankle in front of your left and plant both feet firmly on the ground.
Bring a bend into both knees and fold forward over your thighs with a flat back. Bring your hands to the floor, bending your knees more as needed. Tip: If you have trouble reaching the ground, use a yoga block for support.
Walk your hands over to the right to feel the stretch deepen through the left hip and hamstrings. Hold for 8 slow breaths and then walk your hands back to center and stand up slowly. Switch sides.

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Here are some tools you can use to ease your symptom or to improve your condition with Sciatica Pain Relief!

Orthopedic Knee Pillow for Sciatica Relief

If sciatic pain, lower back pain or hip discomfort keeps you awake at night ComfiLife 100% Memory Foam Knee pillow can help alleviate your pain. ComfiLife Knee Pillow is ergonomically designed to fit comfortably between your legs and provide ideal spinal alignment and support that helps reduce sciatica, lower back, hip or joint pain. Read More

Orthopedic Memory Foam Coccyx Cushion for Tailbone Pain

ComfiLife Coccyx Seat Cushion is an exceptional multipurpose product if you are looking for a natural solution for back pain and sciatica relief or just everyday comfort while sitting. It helps relieve most back pain by reducing pressure on the tailbone with its cut-out rear. The ergonomic contour design further promotes proper spinal alignment and a healthy posture. Read More