Tips to overcome Sciatica pain

In Sciatica condition, one may feel pain from lower back to buttock and even sometimes to lower limbs. It happens when the sciatica nerve, body’s longest nerve, gets irritated due to spinal issues or injury. The pain can become acute in some cases. Listed below are the life style changes that you should make, the kind asanas you should do, the kind of food which can help you etc. 1. Yoga asanas All pigeon pose variations works wonders in relieving sciatica pain.a) Reclining pigeon poseb) Seated pigeon pose – variationc) Wall variationd) Eka pada rajakapotasanae) Eka pada Rajakapotasana – variationf) Yastikasana with knees bentg) Supta badrasanah) Viparitkarnii) Shavasana to relax your nervesAll the above asanas are powerful to relieve you from sciatica pain. 2. Diet remediesConsume foods rich in anti-inflammatory like pineapple, berries, broccoli and green leafy vegetables. Add ginger, turmeric and garlic which has amazing healing properties. Sometimes the cause of this condition could be prolonged constipation. Hence add more fiber to your diet through consuming more fruits and vegetables. Foods to avoid : Avoid sugars and sugary drinks as they are known to increase the inflammation. The other foods which can increase the inflammation are vegetable oils like sunflower oil, sesame oil and partially hydrogenated oil. Fried foods and junk foods also increases the risk of inflammation. 3. Sleeping positionMake sure your sleeping posture and bed doesn’t contribute to your sciatic condition. Make sure you always lie down on one side with legs comfortably bent. Never sleep with legs straight as it will always put extra pressure on your spine and sciatic nerve. The kind of bed you use always matters. Make sure you are not sleeping in a very soft bed as it would cause misalignment to your spine and also the bed should not be too hard. 4. Do not sit or stand for too longStanding for too long can put more pressure on your spine as well as in the sciatic nerve. Hence avoid standing for too long. Sit for every few minutes. Certain professions like teaching, surgeons, traffic policing etc. where the person needs to stand for long are prone to this sciatic condition. Make sure you sit after every 30 minutes. Also, sitting for too long could cause pressure in your nerves. Make sure you walk for 2 minutes every 1 hour.Sciatica is a condition that can be overcome very easily through making life style changes and changing the food habits. Above all, to be happy is more important. Stress in mind puts more stress in your nerves, so learn to relax and keep your mind free. Follow all these tips and relieve yourself from sciatica pain. Authored by: Dr Hansaji Yogendra, The Yoga Institute