Sciatica – Sciatic Pain Stretches and Treatments

Sciatic Pain is one of the most common conditions of back pain sufferers. Sciatica is a condition that causes pain in the buttocks, leg and back and can even travel down to the toes. There are several stretches and treatments that can help eliminate your sciatic leg pain…

Sciatica – Sciatic Pain in Leg

Sciatica is likely one of the first words that come to mind when thinking of leg pain. This article offers a brief guide to understanding sciatica, as well as methods for treating sciatic pain in leg, back, and buttocks.

What causes sciatica?

Sciatica is a term used to describe a set of symptoms, not an actual medical diagnosis. Sciatic pain starts in the lower back from a pinched nerve. Contrary to popular belief, sciatica is not passed on genetically. The sciatic nerve becomes pinched as a result of a spinal injury or conditions that occur during aging. A herniated (or "slipped") disc, weakened spine, spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), or a lumbar subluxation (vertabra in an improper position) are some common causes of a pinched sciatic nerve.

Symptoms of sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerves in the body. When pinched, pain can follow the nerve from the lower back, out to one side or the other of the buttocks, most notably causing leg pain down the back of one leg and sometimes into the feet and toes.

The actual intensity and duration of leg pain and other symptoms can vary widely between individuals. Sciatica may be a minor irritation for one patient, while another may experience debilitating sciatic pain in leg, rear, and lower back.

Recovery from sciatica often takes only a few weeks, but some find sciatic leg pain to be much more persistent – sometimes lasting months or years. Symptoms may grow worse over time.

Please note that if you experience increasing weakness or loss of sensation in the legs or any loss of control in bowel or bladder you should seek immediate medical attention.

Treatment for sciatic leg pain

Any treatment of sciatica must begin with an accurate diagnosis of the source of trouble. Arthritis and piriformis syndrome are two conditions frequently confused with sciatica as they have similar symptoms.

Once the cause of leg pain has been determined to be sciatica, treatments may include:

• Physical therapy or chiropractic care to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve
• Alternating heat and ice massage therapy for pain relief
• Anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids to relieve inflammation and related pressure
• Steroid injections into the spine (epidurals) to relieve inflammation and lower back pain
• Surgery

You can learn more about sciatica stretches and treatments by watching our videos on sciatica.

Click on this link if you would like to read more about sciatica treatments.

Back Pain Relief Exercise  – Instant Tips, Guide and Information about back pain relief exercise, back pain, back pain treatment, back painback pain relief, chronic back pain. management,

How to Manage Slip Discs in Back Pain  – The patient is administered fluids through I.V. as well as related treatment such as ROM exercises, which are done prior to and after back surgery. Isometric exercises are commonly ordered when back pain is present.

Lower Back Pain  – Proper exercises may help to stop lower back pain. The important word here is “proper”. Doing the wrong type of exercises when you are dealing with lower back pain can actually make the pain worse. 

Technorati Tags: exercises for sciatic nerve, Exercises for Sciatica, sciatic nerve exercises, sciatic nerve relief, sciatica pain relief

How to Improve Posture.

The spine is a marvelous feat of natural engineering. Evolving over thousands of years, its double arched structure efficiently supports and connects our body’s muscles and bones. Even so, poor posture is quite common.

In the vast majority of cases this is simply because people don’t appreciate how simple it really is to improve posture, and that by doing a few exercises, it is something which is in everybody’s reach. Good posture goes hand in hand with the spines ability to support the body, and the good news is that one can totally eliminate back pain simply by mastering four basic principles.

Firstly, we need to ensure that the muscles in our body are able to withstand tension, in that they must be strong enough. Muscle strength is crucial in terms of us being able to carry out numerous tasks such as lifting heavy objects and even running. Even some activities which may not seem as if they are demanding also require a huge amount of effort on behalf of your muscles. For example, if you need to sit for any length of time, the muscles will have to work continuously so that the vertebrae can provide the support needed.

Flexibility represents a muscle’s length when fully stretched. Longer muscles are more flexible, and are usually more permissive in what your body can accomplish safely and painlessly. If muscles are short due to inflexibility, then other muscles must remain unnecessarily tense to provide support. Since strength is tension, these muscles are unnecessarily wasting effort on simple tasks, tiring easily, and causing mysterious aches and pains.

The third principal revolves around the ability to relax and this is essentially somewhere in between strength and flexibility, in that it represents a balance where the muscles are neither contracted or stretched. Generally speaking, relaxation is the key to good posture and also endurance. When one learns to relax one’s muscles sufficiently, the spine is then able to function as it should, in that it will allow for a good posture.

The fourth exercise, which may in fact be considered to be the most important, is the ability to be aware of what your body is doing. Awareness enables you to realize exactly when your muscles are using strength, when your muscles are being flexible, and also when you’re relaxing sufficiently. However, awareness is something which one needs to develop over a period of time, and in so doing, you’ll be able to master the art of keeping your spine in perfect alignment. The bottom line is; in order to maintain an ideal posture you need your muscles to remain flexible while at the same time keeping unnecessary tension to a minimum. This is essentially why body awareness can help you dramatically in terms of achieving adequate relaxation.

Providing you do some posture exercises, all the skills mentioned in this article can be improved with no more than ten minutes of your time each day. You will however have to hone them all successfully in order to see results, bearing in mind that they all go hand in hand. As such, if you end up neglecting one of them, you’ll either reach a point when no further progress is possible, or you’ll simply end up back at square one.

Not only can exercises for back health reduce or eliminate back pain altogether, but they can also help you bring about a vast improvement with regards to the quality of your life. In fact, it really doesn’t take much effort at all in order for you to experience numerous benefits with regards to your overall health as well as stamina. If you suffer from back pain then you may very well discover that posture exercises are all you need in order to rid yourself of it.

Technorati Tags: back pain, exercises, exercises for back, exercises for sciatic nerve, nerve, sciatic, sciatic nerve problems, sciatica

Countless numbers of people experience back pain at some point in their lives. One of the best ways to get relief from this condition is by doing some back stretches to improve your flexibility. In particular, yoga exercise for back pain is considered to be a reliable way to ease your discomfort. Most commonly, back pain occurs because of poor posture. Yoga back pain exercises are one of the most efficient ways to realign your body. In this way, mind, body, and spirit can be perfectly synchronized naturally.

Yoga has been shown in a number of studies to be highly beneficial in relieving back pain. It can be especially effective for hip pain resulting from overexertion or over-stretching. Employing the right kind of yoga back pain exercises will make sure your hip muscles are stretched, bringing your body back into its natural balance and alleviating back pain. It’s amazing how much you can relieve your back pain with such stretches.

To improve your balance while providing support to your hip bones and increasing your flexibility, try yoga exercises from an upright position. Among the more commonly known yoga back pain exercises is the mountain pose. This exercise retrains the muscles of the body to bring them back in line.

Moving comfortably is important and your hips are an integral part of the process. The hips work to sustain the body in a healthy, balanced carriage. The hips are at the center of the body and hooked up to the lower spine. Research shows that up to eighty percent of back-pain sufferers also have hip problems. But yoga can get your hips in line with the rest of your body and moving properly. The best yoga exercise for back pain and helping your hips is the triangle pose.

You can also attain correct balance of the body by assuming the ‘extended side angle’ position that works on both of your sides simultaneously. Those who experience problems with their back often suffer from poor posture, and this yoga exercise for back pain can help reduce pain by stretching the spine. A very effective exercise, it can really help you regain your original pain-free existence.

People all over the world have problems with backaches. Unless there is correct back pain management done at the right time, a situation like this can lead to intense pain and even disability. Be sure to talk to your doctor beforehand if you’re thinking of trying out yoga back pain exercises. In addition, learn how to do these postures with a certified yoga instructor because doing them wrong could actually make things worse for you.

Technorati Tags: exercises for sciatic nerve, Exercises for Sciatica, sciatic nerve, sciatic nerve exercises, sciatica exercises, yoga back pain exercises

Back pain exercises are extremely effective in eliminating the discomfort of permanent back pain. Your back will no longer suffer from strained muscle aches as the muscles strengthen gradually. Exercises are a natural form of back pain treatment that many people are now trying.

There are several good reasons why you should consider doing back pain exercises. First and foremost, the exercises can help to loosen the muscle tissues. This will reduce whatever tension is being felt and that in turn reduces the possibility of further straining and muscle stretching. This in turn prevents more damage to the muscle tissues.

Lower Back and Upper Back Pain

Back pain exercises strengthen your upper and lower back and therefore your back becomes more flexible which is important. The exercises reduce existing pain levels and prevents further episodes of back injuries.

Traditional back pain exercises such as swimming are excellent for reducing pain in the upper back. Swimming is known to be one of the best forms of upper back pain exercises. The weightlessness of your body does not put any strain on your back. The swimming can help to strengthen the main muscles in your upper back and do so without pain.

The main goal of performing exercises is to make the back more flexible and stronger. Your back naturally becomes healthier and therefore improvements in your posture are important benefits. Back pain relief exercises hold the key to preventing future episodes of back pain and assisiting in full relief recovery.

Sciatica and Back Pain

So how to cure your back pain and sciatica? Exercises are also beneficial for eliminating associated sciatica pain. There is an exercise video program by Mike Saros for curing back pain and sciatica pain and they can be done in the comfort of your own home. They are videos showing you the exercises to do for your back pain. Mike is a man that has had surgery and many back conditions so he knows what he is talking about.

Continual lack of exercise will weaken your back muscles. If you exercise your back you will be helping your body in so many ways that you may not be even possibly be aware of. The secrets to a pain free back are there. You can be on the mend and start living when you decide to start exercising.

For a pain free back the first step is to make it strong again. If you help your back it will help and support you. So start your program by doing some back pain exercises at home.

Technorati Tags: back pain exercises, exercise, exercises, exercises for sciatic nerve, Exercises for Sciatica, nerve, sciatic, sciatic nerve exercises, sciatica

The BEST Exercises for Your Back

Have you ever wondered what the most effective ways to build back muscles are? There’s so many exercises to choose from that it can be confusing to know exactly which ones will make your back stronger. Here’s a list of the most effective and proven back exercises that will strengthen your back and help build those wide barn door lats you always wanted, and help avoid back problems such as sciatic nerve problems.

Over the last 16 years, I’ve done just about every back exercise. Granted, not all the variations, heck, I thought I knew them all but I’m continually shocked to learn a few new movements that make me sore again like a teenager who hits the weights for the very first time (breaks into Top 80′s song by Madonna)….

After doing many back exercises myself, the most effective back exercises you can do are the following:

* Assisted wide-arm chin up (or regular pull ups)

* Assisted chin up ( or regular pull ups)
* Barbell rows
* Wide-arm lat pull downs
* Close-grip lat pull downs
* Dumbbell rows
* Wide-arm cable rows
* Close-grip cable rows

More important than that…

In that order! That’s right. Not only are those a list of the most effective back exercise but they are in order of overall back development importance. Re-read this section again until it soaks in. While you might have 10,000 exercises to choose from, not all of them will be as effective in making your lats so wide it will be hard to walk thru the door.

Listen…

If you want big barndoor lats, then pull ups are the king. Followed by barbell rows. You’ll get a thick, strong back just with pull ups. Add in the barbell rows and you are doing the exercises most professionals do.

You will probably see a lot of males/females on the cable row machine. And much like squats, you’ll only see a handful of people who can or will do pull ups on a regular basis.

Those are the ones who will have bigger and better developed backs then the cable rowers or the people who use those machines week after week. There’s absolutely nothing wrong at all with variety but a common mistake so many people make is sticking with lesser known exercises and completely missing out on the foundational exercises.

Hopefully you know that if you want the best leg development possible, then you cannot beat squats. Just like squats hit all the muscle of the leg, pull ups will work all the muscles of the back.

Between the exercises listed above, you will be doing the top notch, fundamental exercises for overall back development and growth by doing pull movements and row movements. Your muscles will be forced to grow!

If anybody has ever told you that you ‘have a hole in your back.’ They won’t after you start including these in your weekly line up.

And if you think you can only do one style of pull up it only takes a little imagination to realize that even pull ups can be varied quite a lot to hit the muscle from different angles. Even with rowing movements, you can row to the stomach for a completely different focus on muscle then if you row to the chest or row to the chin.

It’s all back but the variety will really stimulate the area. Next time you do any rowing movements, think about where the bar is going. Lower, middle or higher. Each variation will help with development and keep you from hitting that dreaded plateau!

Not only will your back become stronger but you’ll experience full development. That’s exactly what you want to do. Variety and sticking with the basics.

Sound familiar? It is.

If you want the best back development, you’ll include pull ups. And then pick and choose from the list above in terms of effectiveness after that. You can do any number of additional back exercises for variety and variation.

The truth is…

Many people cannot or will not do pull ups. But they will spend their time on every other machine or use all kinds of isolation exercises to work the back muscles. They are simply missing the point. Make sure you include pull ups and the other most effective exercises in your arsenal and you are almost guaranteed to boost your back development by a notch or two.

If you really want a challenge, see how many high quality pull ups you can do or add weight. You’ll bring yourself to the next level.

Marc David is a bodybuilder and author of the, Beginner’s Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding. You can get info on Marc’s e-book at: http://www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com To get Marc’s free e-zine, visit http://www.JustAskMarc.com

By Marc David Published: 9/19/2006

Proper Sciatica Exercises – Exercise plays a leading role in treating sciatica. There are many sciatica exercises. These exercises are one the best ways of treating sciatica. They specifically target the muscles in lower back, thighs and abdomen area.  

Best Free Exercises for Sciatica Relief  – While we may prefer bed rest to exercise when in pain, doctors advise rest to patients for just a day or two after a bout of sciatica but exercise is the best mechanism for healing.   

How to find Sciatica Exercises – There are many, many sites available on sciatica exercise. They vary from types of generic types of exercises, more like over views to specific ones. These come with details of the types of exercises. 

Technorati Tags: exercises for sciatic nerve, sciatic nerve exercises, sciatic nerve relief, sciatica pain relief

Most people who are in their old age already can be victims of sciatica, which is a pain that results from irritation of one of the sciatic nerves and includes pain in the hip and buttock area that may extend partially or all the way down the back of the leg to the foot. But this doesn’t mean that middle-age people and young adults can’t have this kind of health problem. Anybody who doesn’t put much attention on how to take care of their bodies can have sciatica problems. For some the best way top get rid of this is to go to a doctor and hopefully be prescribed with the right painkillers or liniment and for them, it’s the best sciatic nerve treatment that they can get or is it just the best?

But there are others who think that this is not the solution. For them, some proper sciatica nerve exercises can help so, what are the best sciatica exercises that one can learn? The most basic exercises for people with this kind of problem is to do a lot of stretching exercises. When doing this exercise, he should put more emphasis or concentrate on his back all the way down to the feet. When he does these, he can recover more quickly from a sciatica episode and prevent future flare ups of the pain. Because sciatic pain is not caused by the same ailments, specific sciatica exercises are recommended depending on the cause of the pain. It’s just like bringing your car into the mechanic, if the muffler is the problem then rotating the wheels will most likely not fix the problem.

A certified athletic trainer, physical therapist, chiropractor or spine specialist who deals with back and leg pain associated with sciatica may recommend a treatment program with exercise being a part of it. Making sure you are properly diagnosed before starting a specific sciatica exercise program is important because, while it is rare, sciatica pain can cause serious medical conditions such as a tumor or infection that require prompt medical attention.

Technorati Tags: back pain, back pain exercises, exercises for sciatic nerve, Exercises for Sciatica, sciatic nerve exercises, sciatica, sciatica exercises, sciatica nerve exercises

Have you ever had a sore back? If you have, you know a resolution to the problem may take a bit more than two aspirin or a trip to the chiropractor. Back pain happens for a variety of reasons. The most common ways that people injure their backs and five methods to relieve back pain are given in this article. So breathe easy. Back pain relief is just a few paragraphs away.

Causes of Back Pain: The Usual Suspects

The most common causes of back pain are muscle strains. A muscle strain occurs whenever a muscle is damaged by tearing or bruising. Muscle strains are caused by everything from bending or stretching the wrong way to using bad posture when sitting. The back and spine support all the systems of the body. Constant stress on the spine means that most people will experience some form of back pain in their lifetimes.

Some other “usual suspects” commonly causing back pain are: slipped or herniated spinal disks, torn ligaments or tendons, nerve compression, osteoarthritis of the spine, incorrectly lifting heavy objects, moving the body in a sudden or unusual manner, obesity, and- for the ladies- wearing high heels. 

Just as lifting a heavy object can cause back pain, so can carrying around too much body fat. Obesity is a leading cause of chronic back pain. Pregnancy commonly causes lower back pain for a similar reason. Pregnancy can also, like high heels, change the body’s center of gravity, causing the body to tilt and apply more pressure to the spine.

Back Pain Relief Strategies

There as many ways to provide back pain relief as there are causes of back pain. Back pain relief strategies can be grouped into five categories: hot/cold application, oral medications, topical analgesics, strengthening exercises, and complementary methods.

The quickest and easiest way to ease a strained muscle or sore back is to apply a heating pad or 20 or 30 minute intervals. For pain with swelling, rotating ice for 20 to 30 minutes is also beneficial.

Non-prescription medications can reduce swelling and pain. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, and Aspirin are all good pain relievers. Muscle relaxants and prescription pain relievers may be required for more severe back pain relief. Topical creams like capsaicin cream, which is made of hot chili peppers, and aspirin creams can be rubbed into sore muscles to ease pain.

Yoga, physical therapy, and other exercises are helpful in long-term management of back pain. Exercise makes muscles stronger and less likely to suffer strain. Eastern and Western methods can be added to manage back pain. Acupuncture, massage, and cognitive-behavioral therapy can help back pain sufferers manage pain and experience relief.

 To learn more about back pain go to The Problems of Back Pain Discussed and Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Technorati Tags: back pain relief, exercises for sciatic nerve, Exercises for Sciatica, sciatic nerve exercises

Stretching and Exercise to Help Your Back Pain

Damage to the back muscles, tendons or ligaments and be a major cause of back pain.  The back pain may be caused by a variety of different things not limited to but including to improper lifting of heavy objects, not warming up the muscles before exercising, trauma associated with a traffic accident.

There are a number of options available for individual suffering back pain as therapy and treatment. 

Using Prescription Medication

Due to the location of the back muscles and the fact that the muscles are an integral part of the body’s movement, the treatment of choice for back pain can be the use of pain prescription medication.  The medications used are generally muscle relaxants and can include Robaxin, Parabon Forte & Valium.

The specific work of these medications are to relax the muscles which in turn allow for healing and decrease the intensity of the pain that the individual is suffering from.  

Performing Back Pain Stretching Exercises

Instead of or combined with many doctors will consider prescribing a treatment program that my include the use of back exercise stretching.  That is because back pain stretching exercises help to facilitate the healing process of the injured muscles, tendons and ligaments in the back as well as strengthening these anatomical areas.

If you are going to use a back stretching exercise program, it is important to have a good understanding of the exercises and how they are performed.  It is vital that you follow the directions of your doctor of health care practitioner as you don’t want to do any further damage to your back. 

Some of the back pain stretching exercises can include the simple exercise known as back stretches.  This particular exercise is very beneficial especially when the individual is just leaving their bed for the first time in the morning.  One specific backstretch exercise that can be conducted, according to the individual’s particular needs and possible pain being experienced, is to bend from the waist forward towards the floor.  Once this has been accomplished then the individual returns their upper body to its upright position.  This can be done a number of times.  This particular exercise will stretch the back muscles as well as help to strengthen this particular area.

Learn more about dealing with your back pain by visiting YourBackHealth.com

Technorati Tags: back pain exercise prrogram, back pain stretch exercise, exercises for sciatic nerve, Exercises for Sciatica, sciatic nerve exercises, yoga for back pain

Sciatic Nerve Problems

Read this article to find out the symptoms, diagnosis, causes and treatment of sciatic nerve problems…

The sciatic nerve also referred to, as the ischiatic nerve is a large nerve in the human body. Several nerve roots leave the spinal cord and exit through holes in the sacrum which combine to form the sciatic nerve, which then passes between layers of the buttock muscles into the deep muscles of the back of the thigh. The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest single nerve in the body, which supplies almost the entire skin of the leg, the muscles of the back of the thigh, and those of the leg and foot.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatic nerve problems refer to a condition called sciatica, which is characterized by pain, tingling, or numbness produced by an irritation of the nerve roots that lead to the sciatic nerve. Thus simply put, sciatica is the inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which is marked by pain and tenderness along the course of the nerve through the thigh and leg.

Symptoms of Sciatic Nerve Problems

Symptoms of sciatic nerve problems include, pain starting in the buttocks and extending down the rear of the thigh or to the lower leg and the sole of the foot. Pain in the lower back may also persist. Other symptoms of sciatic nerve problems include weakness, tingling, or numbness in the leg. It is always better to consult a physician at the onset of these symptoms.

Diagnosis of Sciatic Nerve Problems

Medical analysis of your symptoms can be the first mode of diagnosis of sciatic nerve problems. Mostly the doctors will diagnose the problems from the symptoms. However, in certain cases, some additional tests are required for diagnosis. The commonly used tests, which are used to confirm the diagnosis, are X-ray tests and magnetic resonance imaging tests.

Causes of Sciatic Nerve Problems

• There are several causes of sciatic nerve problems. A bulging lumbar disc is one of the reasons for sciatic nerve problems. In this case, the gel-like center, which is called the nucleus pulposus, remains ‘contained’ within the outer wall of the disc. On the other hand, a case of herniated disc occurs when the nucleus breaks through the annulus. In both the cases, disc material can press against an adjacent nerve root and compress the delicate nerve tissue. This can cause sciatic nerve inflammation called sciatica.
• Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, which is a nerve compression disorder, is also one of the major causes of sciatic nerve problems that are more common in old age.
• Spondylolisthesis, which is a disorder affecting the lumbar spine is also one of the causes of sciatic leg pain. Spondylolisthesis is either acquired at birth or caused by spinal degeneration or physical stress. Sciatic nerve problems can also be a result of direct nerve compression caused by external forces to the lumbar or sacral spinal nerve roots.
• The Piriformis Syndrome is named after the piriformis muscle, which is located in the lower part of the spine and connects to the thighbone and assists in hip rotation. Sciatic pain is the result of irritation of the sciatic muscle by the piriformis muscle.

Treatment of Sciatic Nerve Problems

Most of the times, sciatic nerve problems heal with time. The primary treatment for sciatic nerve problems includes medicines and exercises to relieve pain. Using a cold pack on the middle of the lower back can also provide some relief from pain. Short walks can be another option in this regard. However, the walking distance should be increased gradually. Drugs used for the treatment include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition to this, physical therapy or even surgery might be suggested in severe cases.

Treatment For The Sciatic Nerve

  – Sciatic treatment can often be carried out successfully at home without professional intervention. Some simple exercises and self-care methods can often be.  

Sciatic Nerve Pain Treatment  – Sciatic nerve relief can often be accomplished with self treatment and without the need for professional care or invasive treatment. Simple exercises and self-care methods can often be the difference between a speedy recovery and …   Read more…

The Facts about Low Back Pain  – Sciatica is a condition in which a herniated or ruptured disc presses on the sciatic nerve, the large nerve that extends down the spinal column to its exit point in the pelvis and carries nerve fibers to the leg. … The physician will examine the back and conduct neurologic tests to determine the cause of pain and appropriate treatment. Blood tests may also be ordered. Imaging tests may be necessary to diagnose tumors or other possible sources of the pain.

Relieving Sciatica With Exercises And Self-Treatment  - In some cases, the piriformis contraction may produce compression of the sciatic nerve, but the muscle itself can cause “referred pain” (similar to the arm pain that often accompanies a heart attack) that mimics sciatica.

Technorati Tags: exercises for sciatic nerve, Exercises for Sciatica, sciatic nerve exercises, sciatic nerve problems, Sciatic Nerve Treatment

Sciatica Exercises and Self Treatment

Sciatica exercises and other self-treatment techniques are often just as effective, and may even work better for some individuals than treatments provided by doctors. This is particularly true when it comes to getting lasting relief, because most doctor-administered treatments only mask symptoms and do not address the underlying causes of sciatica, namely spinal disc protrusion and/or muscle contraction.

The symptoms of sciatica are pain, tingling, burning, and other sensations that extend from the buttock area down the back of the thigh, and sometimes all the way down the calf to the foot. True sciatica is related to compression and irritation of the sciatic nerve, most often by a bulging or ruptured spinal disc in the lower back.

Nearly identical in symptoms to true sciatica is a condition known a piriformis syndrome or "pseudo-sciatica". This is caused by contraction of a muscle in the lower buttock region, the piriformis, which runs from the sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of the spine that makes up the back part of the pelvis) to the hip. In some cases, the piriformis contraction may produce compression of the sciatic nerve, but the muscle itself can cause "referred pain" (similar to the arm pain that often accompanies a heart attack) that mimics sciatica.

Both true sciatica and piriformis syndrome can usually be treated effectively with simple exercises and home-treatment methods. One of the simplest sets of exercises for alleviating true sciatica is the McKenzie Method, named for New Zealand physical therapist Robin McKenzie. Although the McKenzie Method is usually associated with spinal extension, in fact the technique uses a systematic approach to determine what spinal positioning is most effective at reducing nerve compression by a herniated disc for a given individual. The majority of cases d respond best to some variation of spinal extension, but not all McKenzie exercises involve extension – it depends on what the evaluation techniques suggest will be most effective.

For piriformis syndrome, home treatment can best be accomplished by means of stretching and massage of the piriformis muscle. One simple stretch can be done by bending the leg and pulling the knee toward the chest, then carefully stretching the knee towards the opposite side shoulder. Stretching should be done slowly and with steady pressure, rather than "bouncing" the stretch which may actually increase muscle contraction. Massage of the piriformis can be done by finding the area of tightness in the lower buttock area and pressing one’s knuckles into the contracted area with firm pressure, gradually increasing pressure as the tenderness decreases and the muscle relaxes.

While there are other sciatica self treatment methods besides exercises,one of the most effective home remedies for disc related sciatica is the use of ice packs to reduce inflammation. While anti-inflammatory medication does help in many cases, ice can be far more effective and does not cause the side-effects that are common with the drugs. It is best to separate an ice pack from the skin with a thin layer of cloth, or a thin towel, in order to prevent frost bite of the skin. For best effect in treating disc-related sciatica, the cold packs should be placed on the lower back so that the pack extends at least one inch below the waistline. To get maximum effects, apply the ice pack for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time, then remove the pack and allow the skin to return to normal temperature before applying ice again. When in doubt, allow about 2 hours between applications of ice packs.

For additional sciatica information, please visit my SciaticaSelfCare.com website. When you visit, you’ll receive a free ebook on home treatment tips, and a free video course to help you etter understand your condition and treatment options.

Dr. George Best is a holistic healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas, and webmaster of SciaticaSelfCare.com.

It makes life very difficult to deal with when you have Sciatica  – Have you ever felt pains that can be felt either in the buttock, lower back, or maybe running down the upper part of your thigh? These afflictions can be.   Read more…

Sciatica from Scoliosis  – Sciatica from Scoliosis story sent in by Michael and published on Sciatica-Pain.Org.   Read more…

Look after your back or someone may have to look after you  – Today, most of us are experiencing or at least have experienced Sciatica. There are a number of causes for sciatica and we are going to discuss five of them in this article and at the same time the things that we could do in order to …   Read more…

Technorati Tags: exercises for sciatic nerve, Exercises for Sciatica, pinched sciatic nerve symptoms, sciatic nerve exercises