Tipful Tuesday: Sciatic Nerve Relief
Diving was always a huge part of my life growing up, and now that I’m all grown up(most of the time) some of the injuries I experienced from diving still cause discomfort (especially when I’m not consistently doing DEFINEbody and DEFINEmind classes). My body has a wonderful way of reminding me to workout by shooting some pretty intense pain down my legs all the way through my toes. That pain is my sciatic nerve sending a message to remind me of my previous lower back injury and the compression that exists. The space significantly improves when I am keep my strength and flexibility in balance, and as a rule of them, any time there is a lack of space, that’s when we start to experience injuries and consequently, pain.
In my many years of searching for relief (including a nerve-block injection, many many months of physical therapy, yoga, pilates, and much more) I’ve found that exercises based on The Lotte Berk Method like CoreFusion (what I taught for several years), Physique 57, The Bar Method, The Dailey Method (which I also taught), and the others have really helped my lower back. So much, that I became a teacher of the method! And now that I have been teaching this method for over 8 years, I have not only experienced the benefits myself, I have been able to help other people achieve relief from steady sciatic pain.
What worked for me has been a combination of core strength with hamstring, gluteal (piriformis muscle specifically), and hip stretching. The best combination for the body is to have a structurally strong body with strong muscles that have great range of motion. And THAT is exactly what makes the methods I mentioned above so wonderful for the body. Each of these exercise methods combines strength and flexibility to keep the body feeling and looking its absolute best. They all have different styles, but each place focuses on the strength and length of the muscles.
What makes DEFINE unique, is our goal of achieving complete balance through both our DEFINEbody and DEFINEmind classes. While living in NY I also came across a method called Yamuna Body Rolling. This very detailed and thorough method combines elements of massage, chiropractic work, and anatomy precise movements. This takes muscle work and length to a new level. This method allows you to safely get even “deeper” into the muscle to allow for complete release (better than physical therapy or a lot of massages). And the best part, is that you can control it yourself.
We all have lower back pains at times, but keeping it in check and balanced is what I’ve found to be a daily challenge. So, we want to help all of our clients and beyond feel that sense of balance.
Check out the following stretches to help relieve sciatic pain:
DEFINEbody
Standing Pigeon: This can be done on a bed, countertop, or ballet barre. If you are extremely tight in your hips, then try sitting into a figure four position or do this lying flat on your back.
Spinal Twist: A great stretch for creating length throughout the entire body (both upper and lower) this stretch will directly release the piriformis muscle to give the sciatic nerve room to “breathe”…..and not scream!
Hamstring Flexibility and Cross Over: If you have a strap, great. If not, use a towel or possibly the string from your bath robe . Try doing these stretches every night before you go t bed, and you will start waking up feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. Waking up from sciatic pain is NEVER a fun night.
Keep your core and inner thighs strong and keep the hamstrings, hips, and glutes flexible, and you will start immediately feeling better!
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