“a real PAIN IN THE BUTT!”
Just what is this annoying, numbing pain?
The namesake for the condition known as Sciatica is the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body, running from your lower lumbar region down your hips, buttocks, and each leg.
When the nerve gets pinched or compressed, sciatica pain can affect the low back, hips, buttocks, and outer side of the legs.
Common causes of sciatica pain are:
- a herniated disk,
- spinal stenosis,
- pregnancy,
- sitting for long periods of time,
- poor posture while running or exercising,
- wearing heels,
- sitting with a wallet in your pocket,
- or injury from an accident.
What is the source of sciatica pain?
Ever heard of your piriformis (pronunciation: pair-a-form-us) muscle?
When this muscle has been overworked or injured, the inflammation will add pressure to that nerve and result in some of those unpleasant sciatica sensations…
It may sound like some prehistoric dinosaur muscle but it’s actually a large muscle located in the middle and upper part of your glutes (AKA… your butt/caboose/derriere).
Your piriformis muscle helps rotate the hips and rotate the thighs when it’s extended and helps pull the thighs inward when flexed.
The piriformis muscle is basically located over the sciatic nerve.
When this muscle has been overworked or injured, the inflammation will add pressure to that nerve and result in some of those unpleasant sciatica sensations – such as dull, tingling, radiating, numbness, or sharp pain felt in your low back all the way down one or both legs to the back of your calves or even down to your feet and toes.
For some people, it may be irritating discomfort while others may experience more severe and debilitating pain that affects everyday life.
How do you soothe sciatica?
For fast recovery, try to refrain from heavy lifting, bending, and kneeling up and down too frequently.
Try these simple tips to stop your pain in the butt!
Tip #1 – Ice and Heat Therapy – applying ice and heat can help tremendously.
- If the pain is new, apply ice (15 to 20 minutes) to help decrease inflammation.
- If the pain has been ongoing for a while, apply heat (15 to 20 minutes) to relax and soothe the muscles.
- Alternating between heat and ice (10 minutes each) can reduce swelling, inflammation, and send more blood flow and nutrients to the area to help speed recovery.
Tip #2 – If you are a side sleeper, make sure to put a pillow between your knees to relieve the pressure on your sciatic nerve.
Tip #3 – Stretching is a must and the most important. It even helps you prevent this discomfort.
Tip #4 – Use a lacrosse or tennis ball to relax the piriformis muscle. Place the ball between you and a wall, then roll it around or put some slight pressure on the tender area. Or you can sit down, cross your ankle over your opposite knee and place the ball under you on the tender area to help it relax.
Tip #5 – Foam rollers are also great for breaking up tension in your muscles.
Tip #6 – Chiropractic adjustments can be very helpful to ensure your hips and low back are in alignment to alleviate pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Tip #7 – And don’t forget the benefits of massage! Massage therapy can work wonders in relaxing the piriformis muscle and other muscles in your hips and low back.
Tip #8 – Hot Epsom salt baths can also alleviate muscle soreness.
Tip #9 – Yoga is overall balancing for your body and can help relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve as the movements focus on full body stretching.
Tip #10 – Want extra fast relief? Topical therapies are an amazing way to quickly soothe muscle soreness any time of day, and Soothology’s Soothe Ultra Strength is a topical gel with a natural cooling, soothing effect that rapidly penetrates the skin for effective relief of muscle discomfort.
I hope these tips help you quickly get rid of that real pain in your butt! If you start to feel like you have sciatica, quickly address it and listen to your body, so it doesn’t turn into a more serious issue.
Know someone with sciatic pain? Pass this article along so they can take simple steps to soothe it quickly.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alyssa is a licensed holistic health practitioner and skin care specialist with over 10 years of experience. She is the CEO and founder of Soothology wildly soothing products and specializes in educating people on how to look and feel their best through whole body wellness. Her adventurous spirit has led her to travel all around the world looking for the best therapeutic ingredients and practices. As a little girl, Alyssa quickly realized that she loved helping people feel healthier and happier as she would recommend essential oils, lotions, herbs and nutritional advice while giving relaxing foot rubs to her family. Through her passion for helping people feel their best, she discovered a link between how the better you feel the better you think, react, and behave to more fully enjoy your journey.