“SCIATIC PAIN SUCKS”

That’s right, I said it. Sciatica sucks! There is no other way to put it. It hurts. You can’t sleep, you can’t sit. Try sitting on the toilet for a minute with Sciatica. You want to talk about pain?!

The Sciatic nerve is huge.  I remember holding it in my hand for the first time in anatomy class. Picture the width of a grown-up pinky.  So why do I bring this up? Because there is only so much space in our body for millions of structures to glide and move.  The Sciatic nerve specifically can become compressed, tugged, torqued, or bent in many different locations. 

But the biggest culprit of sciatic nerve pain is not a bone spur, or a disc herniation or the piriformis muscle.  In fact, I dare to say most of the time it doesn’t really matter what is causing Sciatic nerve pain. What matters is TENSION.  Too much tension.  

A perfect analogy for this is when you’re watering your plants with a hose and you pull the hose around the corner of the house, and it gets stuck.  So, what do you do? You pull harder and it gets more stuck. Well, this is similar to what happens with the sciatic nerve. This repeated tension of the Sciatic nerve through our daily movements can cause pain and inflammation over time. 

So, what do we do about it? 

Sciatic nerve flossing or gliding is a technique that involves gently stretching/gliding/flossing the sciatic nerve to help reduce pain and inflammation. It’s easy to do, and you can do it anywhere.  

Here is how to do sciatic nerve flossing: 

1. Start by imagining a string attached from the back of your head all the way down to the back of your heel. The goal is to pull one end at a time. 
2. Begin by extending your head and flexing your knee. This will give slack to the nerve. 
3. Slowly extend the leg on the painful side while maintaining extension of the neck. Keep your toes pointed for now. 
4. Now, with the knee flexed on the painful side, slowly flex your neck towards your chest, as if you are nodding. 
5. Finally, try both movements at the same time. It’s important to take it very slow, as nerve tissue is delicate. 
6. If you can tolerate the movement together, then try hooking your toes for a greater stretch. 

Incorporating sciatic nerve flossing into your daily routine can help you find relief from your sciatic nerve pain. Remember to take it slow and stop immediately if the exercise causes more pain. 

At SD Body Fix we have been successfully treating Sciatic nerve pain for over 20 years. If you need help with your sciatic nerve pain you can schedule below.

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