Sciatica pain can radiate from the lower back all the way down the back of your leg and foot, following the route of the sciatic nerve. It is often due to compression at the sacroiliac joint, which causes inflamed spinal nerves, according to WomenFitness.net. Several classical yoga poses can open or reset the joint, which may help relieve the pressure causing the inflammation, notes Timothy McCall, author of "Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing." Check with your doctor for appropriate ways to manage any specific condition you may have.
Supta Padangusthasana
Lie on a mat with your knees bent for reclining big toe pose. Loop a yoga strap over your right foot and extend it toward the sky, hinging at your hip to your maximum range of motion. Hold the ends of the strap in both hands to assist in holding the weight of the leg. Take several breaths here, and then lower the leg to the right, as far as it can comfortably go. Take several breaths here before switching legs. You can use a yoga block to prop the leg to make this pose more comfortable, according to "Yoga Journal" magazine.
Bharadvajasana
Sit sideways in a chair with a back for Bharadvajasa's twist. Press your feet into the floor and slowly twist your torso toward the chair back, grasping it with both hands. Allow your head to follow the movement of your torso. Take several breaths in this position, and sink both of your sitting bones down toward floor, McCall recommends. Release the chair back and slowly rotate your head and torso to the opposite side for a counterbalancing movement. Swing your legs to the other side of the chair to perform this pose on the second side.
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Kneel on all fours on a sticky mat for downward facing dog. Curl your toes under and lift your hips toward the sky by extending your legs long. Lower your shoulders away from your ears and send your heels toward the mat. Bend one knee slightly as you stretch the other heel toward the floor. Pedal your feet several times like this to stretch your legs and open the SI joint. If this pose is uncomfortable, try placing your hands on the edge of a low counter while extending your spine long, "Yoga Journal" recommends.
Baddha Konasana
Sit on a mat with your hips raised up on a small pillow for bound angle pose. Create a diamond shape with your legs by pressing the soles of your feet together. Breathe easily here for up to five minutes while envisioning your thighbones spiraling outward. This natural spiral encourages your hips to open and your knees to drop closer to the floor, McCall notes. If your groin is tight, you can prop your knees with yoga blocks to lessen the pull of this pose. If your hips feel tight and your knees are more than 6 inches from the floor, consider working with a yoga teacher to learn how to use sand bags at your hips to encourage them to open further.
References
- WomenFitness.net: Top 10 Yoga Exercises to relieve Sciatica
- "Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing"; Timothy McCall, M.D.; 2007
- Yoga Journal: Poses
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