Sciatica is a bit tricky and can be persistent. In all my years of teaching Back Pain Yoga, I have found more than anything else Sciatica often used as a blanket-term which students cover a range of symptoms they may have. So if you think you may have Sciatica please see a health professional to get a proper diagnosis.
Sciatica causes pain which travels down the leg from the lower back. This pain could go down the back, outside or front of the leg. The onset of Sciatica can be often sudden (more often) or gradual. Most often symptoms are only on one side of the body. However, sometimes Sciatica can result in pain on both sides and lower back pain can also be present. Weakness or numbness could run along the nerve pathway into various parts of the affected leg and foot.
The other challenge I have as a Yoga Therapist working with clients one on one is that the Sciatica nerve doesn’t run in exactly the same place in all bodies. So the same Yoga pose that can provide relief for one person may not for another. So there really is no one size fits all here.
Also, there are many causes of Sciatica; spinal disc herniation, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis and piriformis syndrome to name a few. So it really is a case by case basis. If you do this pose and it aggravates your Sciatica then skip it. I’ll have more poses for Sciatica in future blog posts.
In the video below you’ll notice that my knees come to the floor easily in this pose. This is due to my bone structure as opposed to flexibility so your knees may or may not ever rest on the floor in this pose and it’s not important that they do to receive the benefits.
If your knees are up a fair bit lift your bum up higher by sitting on some blankets or Yoga props like a bolster that will allow you to sit tall with less strain. You can also use Yoga bricks or books under your knees to ease into this pose.
In the video below I’ll walk you through Butterfly pose step by step.
If you know someone who suffers from Sciatica please forward this blog post to them.
Happy practicing,
nyk