Yoga can help manage sciatic pain

Sciatic pain originates from the sciatic nerve that runs from your hip to toes. The pain caused by the nerve can be very uncomfortable. The good news is that when performed correctly, yoga poses can help relieve and bring healing to sciatic nerve pain. The first step in caring for sciatic pain is consulting a medical professional. Once you have a good understanding of your condition, you can explore options on how to manage and relieve the pain. 

There are two common instances that cause sciatic pain:

1. Herniated disc: A bulging or ruptures disc pinches the sciatic nerve and causes pain.

2. Piriformis syndrome: Here, the pain is caused by the piriformis muscle located in the buttocks.

Is it true? Can yoga help relieve your pain?

If the pain is caused by a herniated disc, yoga can help you manage and reduce the herniation. Gentle poses that straighten and lengthen your lower back can offer lasting improvements. If the pain is caused by your piriformis, you need to practice poses that gently stretch the buttocks.

There are a wide range of poses that can help you ease your pain. However, you need to first consult a medical professional and get advice on your condition. Be sure to mention that you would like to try yoga. When you attend your yoga class, let the instructor know that you have sciatic pain.

There are ways to protect your lower back when you do poses. So, it’s important that you become aware of the techniques so you can protect yourself. For example when doing forward bends, having a slight bend or a micro bend in the knees is highly recommended for those suffering from sciatica or back pain. The slight bend allows the weight to be transformed away from the back and into the thighs. 

So, the short answer to the question whether yoga can help relieve sciatic pain is YES. However, the catch is that you need proper guidance from a trained professional to really harness the benefits. Also, you need to be more in-tune with your body so you know when to push yourself and when to stop, to prevent any flare ups when you are practicing. The benefits of yoga are many. To harness them you need gentleness and good instructions.

If you have a good understanding of your condition, read this article to learn some basic poses that can help you manage sciatic pain: https://www.justamat.com/blog-1/yogaposesforsciatica