Sciatica...we continue....

So maybe you have sciatica or know someone who does. There are physical habits you can change to alleviate sciatica pain. As you sit here right now, reading this blog, take note of your body.

What position are your legs in? Are they crossed?
What parts of each foot are on the ground, and what parts are not?
Where is your back in relation to the back of the chair, is it against the chair or are you leaning forward?
Where is your chin, is it jutting forward?
Are you shoulders hunched forward?

You must look at your whole body position and daily habits when trying to rid yourself of sciatica. An in depth look at proper ways of sitting at your computer are really to find a reference point. But for now, really look at yourself. For sciatica, stop crossing your legs. Instead, place both feet flat on the floor, hip width apart, with the whole sole of the foot on the floor. You'll have to learn to use your core to hold you up in a seated position. Time for a mini Pilates class at your desk!

Here is a quick fix for sciatica pain. When you drive, make sure you don't have your wallet in your back pocket.

Get up and walk around as normal as possible. Stop and look down at your feet. Is one foot angled outward or stepped wider more than the other? Is that the foot of the sciatic leg? Moving around your day with a constant, excessive external rotation of the leg can cause Piriformis syndrome. (Piriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder that occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or otherwise irritated by the piriformis muscle. This causes pain, tingling and numbness in the buttocks and along the course of the sciatic nerve. The syndrome may result from anatomical variations in the muscle-nerve relationship, or from overuse or strain. (Ref. Wikipedia)) If you exercise, like running or working out on the elliptical machine, with a rotated leg, your pain will increase. Paying attention to your leg position can diminish sciatica pain.

To cause the least amount of strain while picking something up off the floor, try to lunge forward to pick it up. Or, as you have probably heard time and time again, squat down and then lift yourself back up using your core. (It is good for your butt anyway!)

Finally, remember to stretch, stretch, stretch!

Sciatica pain obviously doesn't go away over nigt, or even or a week, but give these ideas a try if you suffer from sciatica pain.