Yoga for sciatica ? First find out what it is Sciatica…
Sciatica is the pain that is experienced along the sciatic nerve, Sciatic nerve branches from the lower back to the hips and buttocks and downwards to legs. Usually, Sciatica only causes pain to one side of the body. It can occur when the spine sets narrowed and a part of the nerve gets compressed.
Sciatica pain can last for two weeks and then get resolved on its own. As for its aftereffects, one can feel numbness for a short period after the pain has receded. But if it is acute in the beginning, it can turn severe after some time. You may start experiencing many episodes of sciatic pain during a year. You may start experiencing pain more frequently. There is no specific treatment for reducing sciatic pain as sciatic pain does not respond well to medical treatments. But with proper self-care, you can easily reduce sciatic pain.
If you take rest for a few days and then resume doing light work at first, it can help you a lot. But doing no activity for a long time can result in worse pain. But if still, things start getting worse, you must go to a doctor, as at the very least they will help in reducing the symptoms.
How can Yoga help in curing Sciatica?
Yoga is like a complete journey in itself. Yoga has helped many people in curing their diseases. It has helped many people to resume living a healthy life. Yoga can also help a lot in relieving Sciatic pain. Some of the yoga asanas that can help in relieving sciatica are mentioned below:
Child’s pose:
It is very easy and can be done by anybody. It helps a lot in relieving the body. It will relieve tension in your back, chest, and shoulders. It will also help in relieving stress and anxiety.
How to do a child’s pose?
You have to kneel on the floor with your palms resting on your thighs
Then you have to exhale and stretch your arms and lower your upper body until your palms touch the ground. Your body should be relaxed. You can stay in this pose for as long as you find appropriate.
Ardha Matsyendrasana:
It is a half spinal twist and helps in stretching your body lightly. It will increase the flexibility of your hips and spine. Since you do not want to increase the pain by pushing your body way too hard, you should not try to do the complete stretch.
How to do Ardha Matsyendrasna?
1. Sit with your knees bent and your feet touching the floor.
2. Place your right foot under your left knee and around outside the left hip. Your right leg should point straight in front of you.
3. You should maintain this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You can do it for more time, but that is unnecessary and there is a chance of over exhausting your nerves.
Downward facing dog: It is also a very basic yoga pose. It will help you in stretching hamstrings, spine, calves, hips etc. It will help in strengthening all the parts, shoulders, arms, legs, etc.
How to do Downward facing dog?
1. Start from cow pose. Lift your hips toward the ceiling.
2. Drop your hips down with your ears aligned with your arms and your chin touching your chest.
3. You can move your body a little so that you can find a comfortable position.
Raja Kapotasana (King pigeon):
This will also help you in stretching your body. It will help in relieving back pain and strengthening your back. And it will also help in relieving sciatica pain.
How to do King pigeon?
1. Do the downward-facing dog.
2. Bring your right leg toward your left real. Lay you shin parallel.
3. Make sure you are not lying on your right hip or it won’t be of any use.
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose):
It will help in strengthening the spine and help in soothing sciatica pain. It will also help in toning buttocks. It will help you to relieve stress and fatigue.
How to do Bhujangasana?
1. Lie on your stomach with your hands placed under your shoulder.
2. Squeeze your elbows into your body and try to lift your head chest and shoulders.
3. Keep your chest open and try to hold the pose for 30 times. You can repeat this exercise 34-5 times to get the best results.
Ardha Chandrasana (Half-moon pose):
It will help in stretching hamstrings, calves, shoulders, chest, and spine. It will also help in improving digestion. You should hold this pose for a 1-minute minimum. You can hold it for longer as per your capacity.
How to do Ardha Chandrasana?
Stand straight and extend your right your front foot up as if in a triangle formation.
Lift your left leg and bend your upper body to touch the ground with your fingertips.
Change your stance with the left leg extended in front and follow the same procedure.
Viparita Karani (legs-up-the-wall pose):
It will help in stretching the back of your neck, back of the legs, and front torso. It will also help in enhancing blood circulation in your body.
How to do Viparita Karani?
1. Lie down somewhere near the wall with both of your legs bent and your back of your feet touching your hips.
2. Now raise both of your legs high. Try to keep them straight. It will be difficult to do so in the beginning but over time you will be able to do it.
3. If you need more support to hold your legs up, move your hips as close to the wall as comfortable.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose):
It will help in stretching chest, hips, spine, and back and is very beneficial for Sciatica. It is very effective and very easy at the same time.
How to do Bridge pose?
1. Lay down on the floor with your knees bent and the back of your foot touching your feet.
2. Place your arms on either side of your body with the palms facing the ground.
3. Now walk your feet a little forward and keep them at hip-distance.
4. Try to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
5. Repeat for 10-20 times.
Ardha Uttanasana (Half Standing forward bend):
It will help in stretching your hamstrings, hips, spine, front, and back torso. Thus it will also help in relieving Sciatica.
How to do Ardha Uttanasana?
1. Stand straight in front of a table or counter with your feet hip-distance.
2. Lay your torso over the table or counter.
3. Slowly move your feet in and Slowly Unwind.
4. Try to hold this pose for as long as possible.
Pawanmuktasana (Wind-relieving pose):
It will help in strengthening the back and abdominal muscles. It will also help in increasing blood circulation and heart stimulation.
How to do Pawanmuktasana?
1. Lie down on your back and pull both your knees toward your chest.
2. Interlace your fingers and if possible try holding opposite elbows.
3. Touch your chin to your chest.
4. Try to hold this pose for at least 1 minute.
Salabhasana (Locust Pose):
It will help in stretching almost all parts of your body, your thighs, chest, abdomen, shoulders, legs, hips, etc.
How to do Salabhasana?
1. Lie down flat with your hands at the base of your spine.
2. Slowly try lifting your face, shoulders, legs as best as you can.
3. Engage your hip muscles, lower back, and abdominals.
4. If possible try to do 4-5 times and try to hold it for at least 30 seconds.
Supta Kapotasana (Reclined Pigeon pose):
It will help in stretching your thigh, abdominal, chest, shoulders, groin, and legs. It is also a very easy and simple pose. If you do this you will not need to put much pressure on your hips.
How to do Supta Kapotasana?
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels toward your hips.
Bend your right knee and bring your right ankle to the bottom of your left thigh.
If you want to go deeper, draw your left knee toward your chest.
Hold for at least 50 seconds. Do the same on the opposite side.
Butterfly pose:
It is a gentle pose and will help in relieving the tension of your hips and back. It will also help in stretching calves, hips, and groin.
How to do a butterfly pose?
1. Sit down with the sole of your feet pressed together.
2. Slowly move your feet toward your hips.
3. You may feel the tension in your lower back. Don’t tense up. Relax and breathe.
4. Tuck your chin toward your chest.
5. If you want to take it further, you can also move your legs up and down.
6. Try holding it for as long as you can.
Yoga for sciatica – Conclusions:
Sciatica is a problem that might be mild at first but can grow more and more severe with time and take you to a stage where you be left with no other option than to get a surgery. So it is better if you try getting rid of it at the beginning itself. Yoga is something that not just helps in relieving your body but also your mind and your soul. The yoga poses to be done of relieving sciatica pain are very easy and involves very simple steps. Even if you are an individual who is not very good at doing physical activities, you can easily do them. If you do the above-mentioned yoga poses precisely you will be able to see the results for yourself.