Sciatica Pain... What to do about it??

Thanks for tuning in to another one of my blogs! Today I have talked to several people about sciatic pain. I posted a comment on a blog months ago, and have gotten a lot of questions about what to do about it, why it happens, and why other treatments don't work.So I decided I would write about sciatica today! (I honestly could write about a billion things right now, but since this was the one that has been coming up most today, it must be the one I am supposed to write about!)

Let's start off explaining what sciatica really is. The sciatic nerve runs from the lumbar (lower) spine, through the glutes (butt), and then down the leg. It is one of the largest nerves in your body. It can also be the most problematic. If there is a problem in the spine where the sciatic nerve originates, it can cause an impingement on the nerve, and cause shooting pain through the lower back, into the glutes and down the legs. Tight muscles in the glutes and in particular the piriformis (muscle under glutes) can cause these same sensations. Sciatica can be very painful and debilitating. If you have this, you know! Sometimes people get numbness in the feet, or that "tingling" feeling down the legs, like when your foot falls asleep. This is all from the nerve being irritated by either spinal mis-alignments, bulging or herniated discs, or tight muscles.

This pain is horrible, and many people suffer because they go to the doctor when they are in pain, and the doctor gives them a battery of tests, then sends them home with muscle relaxers and pain killers. Many people say that these medications help, but only for the short term. Then they don't know what to do, and are left to suffer. It is a really sad thing to hear about, because there are things that help with the pain, and dare I say it, may even help better than medication.

The FIRST thing I recommend is what is called a piriformis release. This is the muscle I talked about earlier that is deep to the glute muscles. This muscle many times harbors the sciatic nerve. If the sciatic nerve is running through the piriformis and not just against it, the piriformis muscle getting tight, can cause sciatica (otherwise known as piriformis syndrome). It can cause sciatica either way, but if the nerve is through the muscle, even the smallest amount of tension can cause pain. The piriformis release will be a slightly painful release especially if you are in a lot of pain as it is, but you should feel almost immediate relief (within 24 hours). What is this release? Well, a massage therapist can do this release, not sure of other professionals, maybe a physical therapist, orthopedic doctor, or chiropractor may also know how to do it. However, the release is done while you are laying on your stomach. The therapist (or doctor) will press on the lower to mid part of your butt, with deep pressure. This can be painful, but should NOT, I repeat NOT be higher than a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1-10. It should be what we call "breathable pain". If you have to hold your breath, it is TOO MUCH!!  Do not let the therapist go over an 8, you will not be helping anything, because the muscle will start to guard against the pain (tighten). After the therapist identifies the muscle and puts some pressure on it, you should start to feel it release. Many people say that it feels like less pressure, or like the muscle just "melted". After the release is done, the therapist will have you squeeze your glutes together to "reset" the muscle's memory. Basically, muscles have memory and they will go back to the last known position more quickly if they are not "reset" into a new position. (That's the theory anyway.) After this the therapist may do some stretching on you, or may just work on other areas. This technique is what I get the best results with.

Second, is the psoas muscle. This muscle runs two inches down and two inches over from your belly button. It is very deep in your abdomen and can also cause some back pain. It is good to get this muscle released as well. This release is maybe a little more awkward for some, because it is in the tummy area, but it can give you major relief! The therapist would put their hand on the area, tell you to take a deep breath, and then push their hand into your abdomen until they are on the psoas muscle. (It sounds a lot weirder and scarier than it really is! haha) They will then hold it until it releases. They may also have you clench your abs to reset this muscle.

Thirdly, ICE AND HEAT. Don't use just one or the other. Here's why...  Heat causes inflammation, the last thing you need is more inflammation. However, heat does relax the muscles and this you do need. Ice takes down inflammation which is good, but doesn't do much for muscle tension. So do both! Never do either one for over 20 minutes at a time. I can NOT stress this enough!  Do NOT lay on a heating pack all night! DO not lay on an ice pack all night!! Neither of those things is going to help you, but it may hurt you...  so please, 20 minutes only!

Forth, stretch! That's it, stretch! Stretch the muscles in your lower back and in your glutes. This will help to keep the muscles lengthened and will help them not get tight again.

Lastly, some of these things can be done at home, so please do them, give them a try before you try medication. Obviously, I am not saying not to take medication here!!!  Just that I would like you to try a more natural approach first if you can bare to!!  Also, a tennis ball is your friend!  Use the tennis ball to do the piriformis release on your own. Although it may not be as effective as a highly trained and educated therapist, in a pinch it will work!  ;) Take the tennis ball and put it on the floor. Then, literally sit on the tennis ball and roll around until it is on the lower part of one side of your bum. You will know when you find the right spot because it will feel like you just rammed your bum into the corner of a table. Be CAREFUL! Do not EVER go over your spine with a tennis ball in any way shape or form! This includes your tailbone. Keep the tennis ball to the side. After you find the spot, lay on it until the tenderness or pain subsides, again keeping pain levels lower than an 8. Squeeze the cheeks together, and voila! You have done a piriformis release! Don't forget to do both sides, even if only one side hurts!

I would post instructions on how to self-release the psoas if I knew any, but unfortunately, I don't. I think that one has to be done by a professional. It is my advice that you find a professional to do the releases, because I do think we can pinpoint the muscles better, but if you need some relief now, and you can't afford it, or their is no one qualified in your area, this may help!

I am posting this because I know how many people suffer with this pain. I have been there myself!  It is not fun, and can impede daily life. I do what I do because I like to help people. I hope some of you can find the relief you are needing. If you are in my area, I would be happy to help, but if not and you have questions, please leave them below, I would be happy to answer them for you as best as I can!

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to smile!!! :)