Sciatica and lower back pain are pretty common health issues nowadays, since most of the people lead sedentary lifestyle and are exposed to stressful situations almost on a daily basis.
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the human body. Its root starts at the base of the spine, spreads down the leg and ends at the foot. The pain can be acute or chronic and it may affect people of all ages.
Most common symptoms of sciatica pain:
• Pain in the thigh, lower back, calf and buttock
• Numbness
• Fatigue
• Tingling
• Loss of feeling in lower limbs
• Pinching
• Weakness in the knees when standing up
• Inability to flex your ankles to walk on your heels
Causes for sciatica pain:
• Lumbar spinal stenosis
• Lumbar herniated disc
• Piriformis syndrome
• Fractures
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
• Isthmic spondylolisthesis
• Spinal tumors
• Degenerative disc disease
• Scar tissue
• Pregnancy
• Ankylosing spondylitis
About 70% of all sciatica nerve issues appear due to piriformis syndrome. It is a tiny muscle located in the buttock which affects the sciatic nerve in case of swelling, injury, spasms and strains.
Thankfully, this pain can be removed by some yoga poses. So, today we are going to present you 10 yoga poses which can help you to alleviate the sciatica pain:
1. The standing back twist
Place your foot up on a chair and put the opposite hand on your knee. Place the other hand on the hip. Stay firm in your hips and start turning your body. Hold this posture for about 30 seconds. Then, switch sides and note that if you feel pain, don’t do the exercise.
2. The knee raise
Lie on your back and raise one knee towards your chest. Expend the other leg and make sure to keep your shoulders to the floor.
3. The two knee-twist
Lie on your back and then spread your arms. Make sure your shoulders are on the ground and then turn your knees from one side to the other.
4. The single knee twist
Lie on your back and extend one of your legs straight. Bend the knee of the other leg in a 90º angle. Place the opposite hand on your knee and turn your face towards the other arm. Keep your shoulders on the floor.
5. The twisted lunge
Step forward with one of your legs and bend it at the knee. The other leg should stay behind you. Turn your back and put the opposite elbow on the outside of your bent knee. Bring your palms together and stay in this posture for about 30 seconds.
6. The seated twist
Sit with the legs straight in front of you. Bend one leg at the knee and place it on the outside of the other leg. You can either curl the other leg up or keep it straight. One of your hands should be placed on the floor just behind you and the other one on the outside of the bent knee. Keep your legs pointing forward and turn your face.
7. The cat-cow pose
Get down on all fours. Breathe deeply and lift the upper body while pulling back your shoulders. Breathe for about 10 seconds, then release and drop your stomach to the ground. Breathe for another 10 seconds and release. Repeat this exercise for 60 seconds.
8. Child’s pose
Kneel and extend your arms and the upper part forward. Keep your knees grounded and extend your hands in front of you. Stay in this position as long as you wish.
9. Low Lunge
Start this exercise in a runner’s lunge. Make sure your right leg is forward with your knee over the ankle, while your left knee is on the ground with top of your foot flat on the mat. Lift your torso slowly and rest your hands lightly on the right thigh. Lean your hips forward and stretch. For a deeper stretch raise your arms overhead, with the biceps by ears. Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat the exercise with the other leg.
10. Frog pose
Get down on all fours. Place your palms on the floor and slowly widen the knees until you feel stretch in the inner thighs. Keep your ankles in alignment with your knees. Get down on your forearms and stay in this pose for 30 seconds.