sciatica, sciatic nerve, low back
pain
Sciatica
Tuesday Nov 10, 2009 Filed in:
Rolfing | Conditions
Sciatica
is probably the second most common problem that people come to me
for. It is a sensation that may include one or several of these
areas: low back, hip, thigh, calf and even foot. Most people
experience the sensations more on one side.
There are two kinds of sciatica issues: the ones that are stemming from the spine mis-alignment and second that are more about the sciatic nerve impinged by the soft tissue in the piriformis area or in the thigh.
The sciatic nerve is a thick bundle of nerves that travel the whole length of the leg. It starts as a bundle of nerves coming out of the L5, S1 and S2 vertebrae. Sometimes, the L5 is rotated on the sacrum or the sacrum may be rotated itself. This may cause impingement of the sciatic nerve. The nerve can be irritated or inflamed, causing nerve sensations or numbness to the leg. This tends to be a more complicated pattern because it involves the spine in addition to the soft tissue tightness.
The second kind of sciatic nerve issues are people with chronic tightness in the leg and hip. The soft tissue becomes hard and at some point doesn’t allow the femur to glide while moving or even when sitting. The sensations are usually in the hip and on the back side of the leg. From anatomy stand point, the piriformis muscle of the hip is interesting because in small percentage of the population, the sciatic nerve actually goes through the piriformis. When the piriformis becomes tight, it can trigger the sciatic nerve sensations.
In both patterns, I work with the hip, ie. gluteal muscles, piriformis and the connective tissue on the back side of the leg. Usually, this gives a person relief to move or rest the leg while the femur is free enough to find comfortable position in which it is not “pulled on.” If the sciatic pain doesn’t go completely away, I continue pursuing the spine and how it relates to the sacrum, pelvis and the legs. We work the soft tissue that could be pulling on any of these structures. These may be the psoas or the adductors and many other structures.
For some people, the sciatica can dissipate in their first Rolfing session. For others, it may take longer. Usually, the less amount of time a person has had it, the bigger chance is in resolving it fast. Don’t wait until it becomes a larger pattern.
There are two kinds of sciatica issues: the ones that are stemming from the spine mis-alignment and second that are more about the sciatic nerve impinged by the soft tissue in the piriformis area or in the thigh.
The sciatic nerve is a thick bundle of nerves that travel the whole length of the leg. It starts as a bundle of nerves coming out of the L5, S1 and S2 vertebrae. Sometimes, the L5 is rotated on the sacrum or the sacrum may be rotated itself. This may cause impingement of the sciatic nerve. The nerve can be irritated or inflamed, causing nerve sensations or numbness to the leg. This tends to be a more complicated pattern because it involves the spine in addition to the soft tissue tightness.
The second kind of sciatic nerve issues are people with chronic tightness in the leg and hip. The soft tissue becomes hard and at some point doesn’t allow the femur to glide while moving or even when sitting. The sensations are usually in the hip and on the back side of the leg. From anatomy stand point, the piriformis muscle of the hip is interesting because in small percentage of the population, the sciatic nerve actually goes through the piriformis. When the piriformis becomes tight, it can trigger the sciatic nerve sensations.
In both patterns, I work with the hip, ie. gluteal muscles, piriformis and the connective tissue on the back side of the leg. Usually, this gives a person relief to move or rest the leg while the femur is free enough to find comfortable position in which it is not “pulled on.” If the sciatic pain doesn’t go completely away, I continue pursuing the spine and how it relates to the sacrum, pelvis and the legs. We work the soft tissue that could be pulling on any of these structures. These may be the psoas or the adductors and many other structures.
For some people, the sciatica can dissipate in their first Rolfing session. For others, it may take longer. Usually, the less amount of time a person has had it, the bigger chance is in resolving it fast. Don’t wait until it becomes a larger pattern.