Sciatica means pain that radiates through the sciatic nerve, which is nerve branches from the lower back from hips and buttocks and down to each leg. Commonly, sciatica affects only one side of the body.
Sciatica most commonly happens when a herniated disk, bone spur on the spine, or spine narrowing compresses, pain, and often numbness in the affected leg.
Although the pain linked with sciatica can be severe, most cases resolve with sciatica can be severe, most sciatica cases resolve with non-operative treatments in some weeks. People who are experiencing sciatica that is linked with significant leg weakness or bladder or bowel changes might be candidates for surgery.
Symptoms
Table of Contents
Sciatica shows symptoms of pain, which radiate from the lumbar (lower back) spine to your buttock and down to your legs. You might feel the pain almost anywhere on the nerve branch, particularly in the lower back to thigh and calf.
The pain can change widely, from mild pain to a sharp, intense pain or burning sensation.
Sometimes you may sense a jolt or electric shock. It can become worse when you sneeze or cough, and long hours of sitting can increase symptoms.
This condition affects one side of your body. Some people also feel numbness, muscle weakness, and tingling in the affected leg.
Causes
Herniated spinal disk
Sciatica conditions occur when the sciatic nerve gets pinched. It happens by a herniated disk in the spin or extended of vertebrae or bone.
More especially, the nerve can get reduced by a tumor or damaged by a disease like diabetes.
Risk factors for sciatica
Age
Age linked changes in the spine, such as bone spurs and herniated disks, are the most common cause of sciatica.Â
Obesity
Increased stress on the spine and extra body weight can cause spinal changes that induce sciatica.
Prolonged sitting
People who sit for a long time or have an inactive lifestyle are more likely to grow sciatica than active people.
Diabetes
This condition affects the body and its ability to use blood sugar and increases the risk of nerve damage.
Job
A work that needs back turning or moving heavyweight for more time leads to sciatica.
Complications
Although most people recover completely from sciatica without treatment, it can cause permanent nerve damage. Get immediate medical attention if you experience:
Weakness in the affected leg
Feeling lost in the affected leg
Loss of bladder or bowel function
Prevention
It is difficult to prevent sciatica, and the condition may happen anytime with above causes.
Yoga Asana for Sciatica
Dandasana
You might have heard of several people complaining of lower back pain, tingling sensation in the leg, and hip pain. These are some of the major symptoms related to sciatica. When the nerve stretched from the lower back to the back of the leg known as the sciatic nerve is impacted, you tend to get severe pain. This type of pain is called sciatica.
How To Do It?
- Sit straight on the ground, keeping back straight and leg stretched in the front direction. Legs must be parallel to each other, and feet should point upward.
- Push buttocks over the floor and a level head. It will automatically straighten and stretch the spine.
- Bent feet and push heels.
- Keep palms next to hips over the floor. It will support the spine and relax the shoulder.
- Bent feet and push heels.
- Put your palms next to your hips over the floor. It will support the spine and relax the shoulder.
- Your torso must be level and relaxed.
- Relax legs, and ground the reduced half of the body firmly on the floor.
- Breath commonly and hold this pose for 20-30 seconds.
Caution
Those who suffer from a lower back injury or wrist injury should not do this asana. However, it is good to do it under a yoga instructor.
Beginner’s Tips
- These are some tips to keep in mind to get a basic pose.
- Your weight must be well balanced in buttocks. You must move your hips from one side to another once you are in the position. When you feel the weight is managed, make sure that the pubic bone and the tailbone are at a level distance from the floor.
- It is good, to begin with, feet up. You must lower the big toes front and then level heels, toes, feet.
- Focus on ankles and work on heels to level your calves and thighs. Then, seek alignment in the tailbone, belly, and pelvis as you reach upward to arms, collarbone, shoulders, and neck.
- Finally, move to level the crown of the head.
Rajakapotasana
The pain generally occurs when a muscle in the buttock part puts pressure over the sciatic nerve while pushing it opposite to tendons under it. This yoga sends a shooting pain in the legs. Stretching also relieves pain and nerve pressure.
How To Do It?
- Begin on fours, make sure knees are kept under hips and hands lightly in front of the shoulder.
- Now, slowly slide right knee frontside, such that it is behind the right wrist.
- Keep the right shin under the torso and bring the right foot in the front of the left knee. The outward right shin must rest over the floor.
- Gently slide left leg to the back. Straighten the knee and lower front of thighs to the floor.
- Reduce the outsides of the right buttocks over the floor. Keep right heels in front of the left hip.
- You can angle the right knee to the right side and outward the line of the hip.
- Your left leg should stretch itself straight out of the hip.
- Make sure the leg should not turn to the left side. Turn it inwards, and its midline should be pushed against the floor.
- Take a deep breath and breath out, flex your left leg at the knees. Then, press the torso back and extend as much as your head reach your foot.
- Raise arms upward, slowly fold them at elbows. Use hands to get foot toward the head.
- Balance the upright pose of the pelvis. Push it down and lift the lower rims of the rib cage opposite to the pressure of the thrust. To raise upward chest, push the top of the sternum level upward and toward the ceiling.
- Hold this position now for one minute.
- Get your hands back to the floor and lower your left knee down. Slowly slide the left knee front and breath out to come upward. Take some breath and do it for the left leg front and right leg at the back.
Beginner’s Tips
- Beginners may experience difficulty holding back foot with their hands. It might be helpful to use a strap with a catch in such cases.
- Slip the loop on the back food and tighten it around the ball of your foot, ensure the buckle is opposite to the sole.
- While you position your legs, keep the strap beside you. Once you flex the knee at the back, grasp the strap with a similar hand as the back leg.
- Swing that arm upward on the head, and reach back using the other hand.
- Hold the strap using both hands and walk hands down the strap reaching the foot.
Ardha Matsyendrasana
The Ardha Matsyendrasana provides a good twist to the body. This twist bent the hips and lower back and also relaxes the area. It also enhances blood circulation and reduces pain.
Make sure to perform this yoga with an empty stomach or keep a 4-6 hours gap between meal and yoga. All food in the stomach should be digested to provide enough energy during yoga.
How to Do It?
- Sit straight with a stretch leg and keep feet together and a straight spine.
- Now, bend your left leg to keep your left foot next to your right hip. You could also manage the left leg stretched outward.
- Then, keep the right leg next to your left knee by keeping it on the knee.
- Twist waist, shoulder, and neck towards the right and set gaze over your right shoulder. Make sure the spine is straight.
- There are different ways you can put your arms to lift and lower the stretch. But do it simply. You can hold the right hand alongside you and the left hand above the right knee.
- Hold the pose for some time, about 30-60 seconds, as you breathe deeply and slowly.
- Breath out and release your right hand, and then chest, waist, and neck. Relax as you sit erect.
- Repeat the same steps for another side, and then breath out to come back to the front side.Â
Precautions
- Avoid this yoga during menstruation and pregnancy as it put pressure on the abdomen.
- People with recent abdominal, brain, and heart surgeries should avoid this yoga.
- Individual with peptic ulcers or hernia should avoid this yoga or do under expert guidance.
- People with a minor slipped disc problem will get benefit from this yoga.
Beginner’s Tips
The different hand variations in this pose can make it difficult for beginners. Sit over a blanket and do this yoga.
Next, before you do the arm and hand variations, wrap one arm around the lifted leg and hug the thigh to the torso.
Salabhasana
The Salabhasana helps to strengthen the lower back and boost healthy circulation in the area of the lower hip. It helps to release your sciatic pain due to low circulation; pressure increase in that part.
You must ensure to keep bowels and stomach before doing this yoga. Or you can eat your food before 4-6 hours of practice. Making food digested helps to provide good energy during yoga practice.
How To Do It?
- Lie over the abdomen on the yoga mat and keep your hands on your side.
- As you breathe in, raise your legs and upper body.
- Using inner thighs, raise leg upwards without bending knees. Your weight should rest over the abdomen and lower ribs.
- Hold this position for one minute and release.
Precautions
If you feel a migraine or headache or suffering from a spinal or neck injury, then do not do this yoga.
Pregnant women also skip this yoga.
People with a neck injury should avoid this yoga or perform under the guidance of an instructor.
Beginner’s Tip
As a beginner, you can raise your legs, keep your upper body over the ground, and you may also use your hands for extra support.
Setu Bandhasana
This yoga is a very effective pose for relieving sciatica nerve pain. It slowly stretched the lower back and major muscles in the buttock. It also improves flexibility and triggers movement in sciatica affected part, which is constricted and inactive. Doing this yoga also increases blood circulation to the lower body.
It also requires to perform with an empty stomach and an empty bowel. The food should be digested for practice in other timings than the morning.
How To Do It?
- Start with lying flat on your back.
- Flex knees and keep feet over the floor at hip-width. Let your ankles and knees kept in level.
- Let arms rest beside the body, and palms should face down.
- Breath in and raise back over the floor. Roll in shoulders and chin should reach chest without moving. Let shoulders, arms, and feet support the weight.
- Firm up buttocks as you squeeze them. Ensure thighs are level on the floor.
- Combine fingers and push hands harder to the ground to raise the torso higher.
- Hold the position for at least one minute and breath slowly and deeply. Breath out and release this pose.
Precautions
People with a neck injury should avoid this yoga or take guidance from a certified yoga expert.
Pregnant women can do this yoga but under expert guidance. Make sure to take your doctor’s advice.
Beginner’s Tips
Beginners should not roll their shoulders under, but they must not pull away with force from the ears. It will tend to overstretch the neck. Slowly raise the top part of the shoulders to the ear while pushing the inner part of the shoulder blades away from the spine.
Supta Padangusthasana
This asana triggers a basic hamstring stretch. It opens up the buttocks and helps to lower pain. Since it stretches the legs, calves, and increases circulation in the lower body.
Make sure to keep your stomach clear before performing this yoga. Keep 4-6 hours of gaps among meals and practice. Morning can be a suitable time to do this yoga.
How To Do It?
- Lie down over your back using legs stretched outward and feet bent. Push feet from heels.
- Breath out and pull the right knee towards the chest and connect a strap around the right foot arch. If you are an experienced yoga practitioner, use two fingers and catch them onto your big toe.
- Now straight your leg and stretch upward to the ceiling, make your arm straight, and should press the floor.
- Keep pushing and stretching your left leg, and squeeze the left thigh top-down with your left hand. The extension of the right leg must build a convenient stretch in the back part of the leg.
- You could either stay in this pose or change the right leg out, get the leg down over the right side.
- Make sure your left hip is grounded over the floor.
- Hold every difference for as long as you feel comfortable, and then repeat the asana with your left leg over top.
Precautions
Avoid this yoga if you feel diarrhea or headache.
People with blood pressure should lift their head and neck with the support of a folded blanket during yoga practice.
Beginner’s Tips
Beginner shoulder practice with the heel pressed against a wall. You can use a blocker under the hip with a raised leg to reduce body stiffness.
Salamba Sarvangasana
The Salamba Sarvangasana is an inverse pose of yoga. It boosts blood flow and relaxes your buttock muscles. It is the best asana to treat sciatica because it provides oxygen and blood flow in the sciatic region.
This asana must be done in the morning with an empty stomach. If you performing it at other times, make sure food is digested.
How To Do It?
- Begin by lying level over your back, keep legs together and arms by your side.
- Using a swift movement, lift legs, back, and buttocks to make elbows support the lower body and stand high over shoulders. Use hands to provide support to the back.
- As you form this position, make sure to move elbows near to each other. Straighten your leg and spine. Let bodyweight lie over upper arms and shoulders. Do not support the body over the neck or head.
- Firm upward and legs and point toes outward. Hold this posture for 30-60 seconds. Take a deep breath while you are doing so. If you feel any type of strain on the neck, then release it immediately.
- Lower your knees to release and get hands to the ground and lie flat and relax.
Beginner’s Tips
A beginner should slide apart the elbows, causing the upper arms to roll inside. It will help the torso to sink onto the upper back. Therefore, collapsing the pose and cause a stain. Use a folded blanket to support shoulders. Roll upward to the sticky mat and set it over this blanket like a long axis is level to the edge opposite to shoulder edge. As you form the position, make your elbows raised and secured over the sticky mat.
Bhujangasana
This yoga also refers to the Cobra pose. It stretches the spine, lower back and relieves pain occurred by a slipped disc, which is a major cause of sciatica.
How to Do it?
- Lie flat over your stomach and keep your hands on your sides and let your toes touch each other.
- Then, move hands to the front side and keep shoulder level, and put palms on the floor.
- Now keep the bodyweight over palms, breath in, and lift head and body. Note arms should be flexed at elbows at this point.
- You need to bend your neck backward to replicate the cobra with its lifted hood. Ensure to keep shoulder blade firm and away from ears.
- Press hips, feet, and thighs to the floor.
- Hold the asana for around 15-30 seconds while breathing normally. Feel stomach pressed against the floor. You should be able to stay in this asana for two minutes.
- Slowly get your hand’s backsides to release this pose.
- Keep your head over the ground by getting your forehead in contact with the ground. Keep the hands under your head and gently rest your head over the side and take a breath.
Precautions
Withdraw this yoga if you are experiencing the following health conditions:
- Back injuries
- Hernia
- Headaches
- Pregnancy
- Abdominal surgeries
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
Beginner’s Tip
As a beginner, you should not go all into the asana. If you do as such, you will wind up stressing your back and neck. You should discover a stature that suits you, and ensure you don’t strain your back and neck. When you do, take your hands off the floor briefly with the goal that you have a careful expansion.