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NaturalTherapiesforSciaticNervePainRelief

Contents:
Overview
WhatCanCauseSciatica?
TheStretchesThatHelpedMe
TriggerPointTherapy
BeneficialYogaPoses
AyurvedicTreatment
Acupressure
DietTherapy
Summary
References

Overview
Sciaticareferstoaninflammationofthesciaticnerve.Irritation
canrundowntheentirelegtothefootandmaybe
excruciatinglypainful.Itisoftencausedbycompressionor
inflammationofthesciaticnerveroot.Sciaticamaybetriggered
bysomethingassimpleandeasilycorrectableassittingona
thickwalletoramoreseriousconditionsuchasatumoror
bulgingdiscfromthespinalcolumnpressingonthesciatic
nerve.Assuch,itisaconditionthatshouldalwaysbefirst
evaluatedanddiagnosedbyalicensedmedicalprofessional,
andanyhometreatmentsshouldonlybeattemptedunder
doctorsupervision.

WhatCanCauseSciatica?
Anythingthatputspressureortensiononthesciaticnervemay
causesciatica.Possiblecausesfrommyfamily'sexperience
andthoselistedinmycollectionofalternativehealthbooks
include:
Weightlifting,strenuousyogaposesoranyothertype
ofexercisethatmaytightenthemusclesofthebuttocks,
backandhipmaybeatrigger.Iactuallydeveloped
sciaticafromphysicaltherapyforrepetitivestressinjuries
inmyupperbody.Theproblemwasthattherapyonly
focusedonmyupperbody,whichinsteadofbalancingmy
musclesjusttransferredthetensionpointsfrommyupper
bodytomylowerbody.SomyRSIwentaway,andI
developedsciaticainstead.Yogatolengthen,balanceand
tonethemusclesinbothmyupperandlowerbodywasmy
longtermsolution.
I'venoticedthatpeoplewithscoliosisandalow
shouldermaydevelopsciaticaonthesamesideofthe
bodyasthelowshoulder.Ithinktightmusclesinthehip
areamaypulltheshoulderdownaswellasputpressure
onthesciaticnerve.

Manywomen,meincluded,developsciaticafrom
pregnancy.Thismayhappenbecausetheweightofthe
fetusinthefrontofthebodycausesthemusclesinthe
backtocontractandtighten,whichinturnirritatesthe
sciaticnerve.
Sittingonsomethinghardthatpinchesthenerve,such
ashard,metalbleacherseats,aStyrofoambackroller,or
sittingonathickwalletcancausesciaticpain.Laying
lengthwiseonaStyrofoamrollercanbegreatforback
painandroundedshoulders,butunlessyoudoleg
stretchesafterwards,inourexperiencesometimesitcan
justtransfertensionpointsfromtheupperbodytothe
lowerbody.Oneofmyrelativeshaslearnedtofollowhis
backrollersessionswithayoga"legsupwallpose"sothat
bothhisupperbodyandlowerbodygetstretchedout
equally.
Ihaveabitofahardmattress,andsometimeswakeup
withanattackofsciaticainthemiddleofthenight.When
thishappensIdothetennisballtriggerpointtherapyas
describedbelowandthepainalwaysgoesaway.
StretchesforSciatica
Sciaticareferstotheconditionwherepressureisplacedonthe
sciaticnerve,causingintensepainthatmaystartatthelower
backorbuttocksandrundownthelegtothefoot.Thispainmay
becausedbysomethingassimplelikesleepingonahard
mattress,sittingonahardbench.Onecommonproblemistight
musclespressingonthesciaticnerve.
ThefollowingstretchesareacoupleoftheonesthatI
personallyfoundthatworkedtorelievemysciaticpain.
KneestoChestStretch

Supinekneestochestlayonthefloorwithyourlegs
slightlybent.Graspthekneeofthelegwiththesciaticpain
withbothhands.Slowlyandgentlypullittowardsyour
chest.Stopifyoufeelanypain.Itshouldfeellikeagentle,
goodstretch.Becarefulnottopulltoohardoryour
musclesmaygointospasm,whichwouldthenmakethe
painworseinsteadofbetter.Youcandoalsodothisthis
posewithoneorbothlegsbeingpulledtowardsyour
chest,butIwouldputtheemphasisonpullingthelegwith
thesciaticpainthemost.Ifthisposeproducesany
discomfort,thenyoumaywanttotrytriggerpointmassage
therapyinsteadofstretching,andtrythestretchagainata
latertimewhenyouareoutofacutesciaticpain.
CrisscrossKnees

CrisscrossKneeStretchLayonthefloorwithyour
armsatyoursidesandyourlegsbent.Firstcrossyourleft
legoveryourrightlegandthenpushbothlegsgentlyback
totheleft.Thenrepeatontheoppositeside.Idobothside
butholdthestretchalittlelongerwhenthelegwiththe
sciaticpainisthebottomlegofthecrisscross.Don'tpull

toohardoryourmusclesmaygointospasm,makingthe
painworse.Youshouldjustfeelanice,gentlestretch.As
notedabove,don'tdoanyposesthatcausegreater
discomfort.Ifanytypeofstretcheshurt,thenitmaybe
bettertoholdoffandtrythetriggerpointtherapyuntilthe
painsubsides.

TriggerpointTherapy
Formyfamilymembersandmeacupressureisthemain
treatmentthathelpsacuteepisodesofsciaticnervepain.Yoga,
stretchinganddietchangesmayallhelptopreventfurther
episodesfromhappening,butforacutepainthemaintreatment
thathelpsushasalwaysbeentriggerpointtherapy,
Whatwehavefoundmosthelpfulistoapplypressuretothe
triggerpointrightinthemiddleofthebuttocks,eitherusinga
massagetoolorsimplyrollingonatennisball.Oneofmyweb
sitereadersfoundimmediaterelieffromyearsofsciaticpainby
applyingpressuretotriggerpointsbyrollingonthefloorusing
hard,rubberdogtoys!
Ifyouhavesomeoneelsetohelpyouwithtriggerpointtherapy,
youcanlayonyourstomachandhavethemuseamassage
toolwitharoundedend,topressthetriggerpointsaroundyour
hipsandgluteusmaximus.
Ifyoudon'thaveahelperfortriggerpointmassage,andwantto
trysomethingotherthanrollingonthetennisball,youcantrya
productcalledatheracane.Ithasalongcurvedendwhichhelps
toreachplaceslikeyourbackside,whichotherwisemightbe
hardtomassageonyourown.

YogaPostures

Ihavealargecollectionoftherapeuticyogabooksandmany
havesectionswithposestodoforsciatica.Oneinterestingpoint
tonoteisthattheposesingeneralarealldifferentfrombookto
book.Manyappeartometobeselectedatrandom,andsome
actuallyareposesthatwouldtightenthemusclesinthelegs
andbuttocksandmostlikelywouldmakesciaticnervepain
worse.
However,whenIlasthadsciatica,IfoundthebookBackCare
BasicsbyMaryPulligSchatz,M.D.1helpful.Ithasanentire
chapteronsacroiliacPainandsciatica.BesidestheKneeto
Chestpose,whichiscoveredaboveunderstratches,other
posturesthathelpedinclude:
PassiveBackArch
SupineCobbler'sPose
PiriformisStretch
CrocodileTwist(lyingtwist)
SupineKneetoChest(variation1)
OneLegUp,OneLegoutlaynearadoorwayandhave
onelegstretchedupthewallandonelegstraightouton
thefloorinfrontofyou.Ihadtoworkuptothisposture.I
startedoutwithmylegupthewallata45degreeangle
andthenasmylegloosenedupovertimeworkedupto
ninetydegrees.
Ingeneral,formethebestposeswereoneswhereIwaslaying
flatonmybackandstretchingmylegsinvariouspositions.
Manyotheryogabooksrecommendstandingpostures,butin
mycasethestandingposturestendedtotightenmylegmuscles
andmademypainworse.

Dr.VasantLad,writinginAyurveda:TheScienceofSelf
Healing2,recommendsthefollowingposesforsciatica:
Kneetochest
BackwardBend
Plough
YogaMudra
HalfWheel
Ihavedidnothaveanymoreproblemswithsciaticapriorto
purchasingDr.Lad'sbook,soIcouldnotpersonallytestoutthe
aboveposes.However,muchoftheotheradviceinhis
Ayurvedicbookhasbeenveryhelpfulformyfamilyandme,soI
thoughtI'dincludehisrecommendedposesinthisarticleas
othersmayfindthemofuse.
Idothinkthatsciaticamayrequireveryindividualizedtreatment
dependingontheindividualandthecauseofthepain,soitmay
paytotryjustoneposefromtheabovelistsatatimeandrecord
theresults,keepingtheposesthatseemtohelpinyourdaily
practiceandholdingoffononesthatcausefurtherpain.Ifa
posecausespain,itisoftenbecauseitpullswhereyouarethe
tightestandleastflexible,soironicallyitmaybetheposeyou
needtodothemostoverthelongterm.
However,initiallyeitherholdingoffaltogetherorpracticinga
modified,moregentlevariationofanyposethatcausesyou
problemsmaybeinorderatfirst.Inmyopinion,yogaorany
othertreatmentforsciaticashouldneverhurt,andanyposes
youcannotdocomfortablyyoushouldrefrainfrompracticingfor
thetimebeing.Fortimeswhenanyposeswerepainfultodo,
thentriggerpointtherapytreatmentslistedbelowusuallyworked
best.

AyurvedicTreatment

AccordingtoDr.VasantLad,sciaticaisacommoncomplaintfor
peoplewithavatadosha.InAyurveda,theScienceofHealing,
Dr.Ladstatesthat,"Vatapeopleareverysusceptibletogas,
lowerbackpain,arthritis,sciatica,paralysisandneuralgia."3
Vatapeopletendtohavethinframes,lowbodyweightandcold,
dryskin.
FormoreinformationonDr.Lad'sAyurvedictreatmentofsciatic
nervepain,youcanmoreaboutithere.
Acupressure
InthebookAcupuncturewithoutNeedlesbyJ.V.Cerney4,the
authorrecommendstreatingsciaticabyapplyingpressuretothe
following"A"prioritypointsinthefollowingorder:B47,B48,B
51B54andB60.Theauthor'snextpriority,his"B"list,consist
ofGV2followedbyGV3.
Forsciaticpainonthesideoftheleg,ChrisJaneyandJohn
Tindale,writinginAcupressureforCommonsAilments5,
recommendtreatingpointsGB30andGB31.Theauthorsfeel
thatdispersingpointsGB34andGB39mayalsohelp.
Forpainonthebackoftheleg,JaneyandTindalerecommend
treatingpointsB57andB60.Recommendedsecondarypoints
forsidelegpainareB54,B26,andB23.Note:Theauthor's
haveacautionthatB60shouldnotbeusedduringpregnancy.
MichaelReedGach,authorofTheBumBackBook6,
recommendstreatingpointsGB30,GB34,GB40,andGB41,
intheorderlisted,forsciaticpainrelief.

Youcanfindanonlinechartwithacupuncturepointsat
www.acupuncture.com.

DietTherapy

Sciaticaisoftencausedbytightmuscles,andtightmusclesmay
becausedbyalackofmagnesium.Calciumisthemainmineral
involvedinmusclecontraction,whilemagnesiumisthemain
mineralthatreleasesmusclecontractions.Withoutmagnesium
musclesmaystaypermanentlyinatight,contractedstate.
StudiesshowthatmanypeopleonWesterndietswithhigh
amountsofprocessedfoodmaynotbegettingtheRDAof
magnesium,soitmaybeagoodideatowatchyourdietto
makesureyouaregettingenoughofthisimportantmineralto
keepyourmusclesrelaxed.
Whenoneofmyrelativesstartstofeelatwingeofsciatica
comingon,heeatsalotofpeanuts,amagnesiumrichfood,and
usuallythiswillstophispainalmostimmediately.(Obviouslythis
isnotaviablesolutionforpeoplewithpeanutallergies.)Other
foodshighinmagnesiumincludenuts(almonds,cashews,
pistachios,walnuts,etc.),beans,bananas,andleafygreen
vegetables.Factorsthatdepletemagnesiumlevelsincludea
diethighinphytates(foundinwholegrainsandunleavened
bread),coffeeandothercaffeinatedsubstances,andexcess
calciumintake.Formoreinformationseemypageonhowtoget
moreincreaseyourmagnesiumlevelswithwholefoods.
Forwhattoeattorelievechronicallytightmuscles,seemy
sectiononthebestdietforfibromyalgia.
Summary

Sciaticacanbeadebilitatingconditionthatshouldalwaysbe
diagnosedbyalicensedhealthcareprovider,asitmayhave
seriouscauses,suchasaherniateddisc.Alternativetreatments
forsciaticpainthatmaybehelpfulincludepracticingappropriate
yogapostures,acupressure,triggerpointtherapy,Ayuvedic
medicineanddietimprovement.

RelatedPages
Naturaltherapiesfor:
SwollenAnkles
KneePain
Scoliosis

References:
1.Schatz,MaryPullig.BackCareBasics.Berkeley,California:
RodmellPress,1992.
2.Lad,Vasant.Ayurveda:TheScienceofSelfHealing.Twin
Lakes,Wisconsin:LotusPress,1984.115.
3.Ibid.,at38.
4.Cerney,J.V.AcupunctureWithoutNeedles.WestNyack,
NewYork:ParkerCompany,1983.198201.
5.Janey,Chris,andJohnTindale.AcupressureforCommon
Ailments.NewYork:Fireside,1991.83.
6.Gach,MichaelReed.TheBumBackBook.Berkeley:
Celestialarts,1983.5860.

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