Sciatica: 7 yoga postures to relieve this back pain

About 5% of people who suffer from lower back pain are affected by the sciatica. the Merck manual defines the latter as “pain that manifests along the sciatic nerves”. These nerves, which are two in number, “start from the lower back, pass through the buttocks and descend into the legs, stopping just below the knee”.

Sciatica pain is caused by compression, pinching, irritation, or inflammation of one of these sciatic nerves, itself linked to spinal injuries. It can therefore be due to a herniated disc, osteoarthritis, trauma or narrowing of the lumbar canal, and it is often associated with back pain. We then speak of lumbosciatica.

Sciatica: what are the symptoms?

Several symptoms features may suggest lumbosciatica. According to the website of health insurancethe most common are:

• lower back pain associated with pain in a lower limb;
• a variation of the pain according to the movements (often triggered by an effort and which increases while sitting or during episodes of coughing, for example);
• numbness and muscle weakness in the leg and foot;
• sensory disturbances and tingling in the leg and foot;
• relief when lying down.

Despite this pain, which radiates in the buttock and in the leg, the appearance of the latter does not change. No redness and no swelling are visible. Diagnosis is based on clinical examination and, if necessary, on imaging tests such as MRI or CT.

How to relieve sciatic pain?

Its treatment is mainly based on measures aimed at relieving pain. If that’s not enough, a surgery can be considered. Don’t worry: before getting to the operation, there are very effective solutions to calm the sciatic pain.

On a daily basis, it is recommended to avoid postures and movements that cause sciatica and, against all odds, to to move ! Prolonged rest would, in fact, be counterproductive. “If the pain is bearable, continue and adapt your activities, without forcing”, encourages Health Insurance.

During crises, taking paracetamol can also help – except, of course, in the event of a contraindication. As a second intention, you can consider taking a Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen, but not more than five days and respecting the instructions for use. An alternative remedy to drug treatment, aromatherapy can help. In a previous article, we presented to you five essential oils which can help you naturally.

Yoga is effective against lumbosciatica

Finally, did you know that the yoga is your ally against back pain? A small study conducted in 2013 on 60 participants showed that certain poses help improve the symptoms of sciatica. Other work, published in 2017, proved the ability of yoga to reduce chronic lower back pain and decrease the use of painkillers. This same study suggests that yoga sessions would be just as effective as physiotherapy sessions, in terms of reducing pain and the use of medication.

Emily Cronkleton, certified teacher of yogalist several poses that help prevent and relieve sciatica, in an article published on Healthline. We present seven of them, easy to make at home. It is better to practice them regularly between two crises, to strengthen and stretch the lower back, and to avoid forcing if the pain is too intense.