Believe it or not, yoga can be the answer to the awful and annoying pain you have been dealing with because of sciatica. Sciatica is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve or the longest nerve in our body which begins in the base of the spine and goes through the thigh and calf muscles down below the foot.
An average person has around 40 percent risk of sciatica throughout his/her life. Often times, it begins as tingling sensation in the legs or a weakness in the knees. Before we show you the best yoga poses to relieve this problem, let us check out the major symptoms first.
The Main Symptoms of Sciatica
- Pain along the sciatic nerve, i.e. buttock, lower back or calf
- Tiredness
- Numbness
- Loss of feeing in the feet or/and legs
- Tingling or pinching feel
- Weakness which makes the knees buckle when standing up
- Foot drop- inability to flex the ankles enough to walk on the heels
- Lowered Achilles tendon and knee reflexes
6 Best Yoga Poses to Alleviate Sciatica
- Standing back twist
Place the foot up on a chair while the outside of your opposite hand is on top of your raised knee. Put the other hand on the hip. Begin turning up the upper body while the hips are facing forward. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds and then switch sides. Do not push too hard. Stay where you are comfortable.
- The two knee twist
Lie down on a mat and spread the arms to form the letter “T”. Press the shoulders on the floor and turn both knees out on one side. Relax and stay in the pose for 60 seconds before changing sides.
- Twisted lunge
Step one leg forward and bend the knee. Keep the other leg out behind you and straighten it. Lift on the toes. Turn your back and put the opposite elbow on the outside of the knee which is bent. Bring the palms together and stay in the pose for 30 seconds.
- The cat/cow pose
Get down on all fours and bend the back down while lifting the chest and pulling the shoulders back. Breathe deeply and keep the pose for 10 seconds. Then, return to a flat back and now tuck the chin into the chest while raising the back. Stay here for 10 seconds before you release. Switch from cat to cow for a minute or two.
- Child’s pose
While down on the hands and knees, sit with the buttocks on the heels and move the body back. Place the hands onto the floor in front of you. Place the head on the floor. Stay in the pose for a minute or two. Relax.
- Seated twist
Sit down and straighten the legs in front of you. Bend on the leg at the knee and put it on the outside of the other knee. Keep the leg straight or you can curl it up depending on your level of comfort. Place one hand flat onto the floor behind you while the opposite elbow is on the outside of the bent knee. Turn with your face behind while the legs are pointing forward.
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