Fast Natural Relief for Sciatic Pain

Sciatic pain can be uncomfortable at best and debilitating at worst. It is tempting just to take some pain pills or muscle relaxants, but those medications have side effects of their own. Plus, you have to wait for the medication start working. Fortunately, yoga poses offer immediate relief without any unpleasant side effects.

Downward Dog

• Lie down on your belly on the floor. Spread your legs until they are just slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Put your arms above your head and straighten them, with your palms are touching the floor. Pull yourself up onto your hands and knees, as if you were getting ready to crawl around the room. Curl your toes so that you can push yourself up onto the balls of your feet. Drop your head as you are shifting your weight to the balls of your feet. Your gaze should be focused on the tops of your feet. Push your heels down toward the floor until you feel the muscles in your legs stretching. Hold this pose for just 30 seconds to prevent overexertion of the sciatic nerve.

Attend a Yoga Class

• Downward Dog is just one of a multitude of helpful stretches that you can do on your own. However, it is important to execute these poses correctly to prevent further injury to your sciatic nerve. Consider attending a beginning yoga class to perfect your technique. Be sure to arrive early so you can speak with the instructor. Explain your condition and request his or her recommendations. Often the instructor is willing to work with you throughout the session, warning you not to do certain stretches or advising you to tweak other poses. While it might be a little embarrassing to be singled out during the class, the benefits of natural pain relief will outweigh any awkwardness.

Purchase a Yoga Video

• If you prefer to do yoga poses in the comfort of your own home, there are videos that can offer the same stretches that you would do at a class. Plus, you can order videos that are tailored to your condition so that you won't mistakenly do poses that further inflame the nerve. This is also a more cost-effective option if individual classes are not financially feasible because you can watch the video over and over again.