What is Sciatica & How Can Yoga Help?

What is Sciatica & How Can Yoga Help? - Yoga Pose

What Are the Causes of Sciatica?

When you’re diagnosed with sciatica, your doctor will usually check your lumbar spine for a herniated disk. This is a common culprit that presses against your sciatic nerve.

Another thing that can cause sciatica is the piriformis, a small muscle within the hip, shown above. The sciatic nerve is positioned between the tendons around the pelvic bone and sacrum and the piriformis.When this muscle tightens, it presses the sciatic nerve against the tendons which causes severe pain referred to as Piriformis Syndrome.

You can tell if your sciatica is caused by your piriformis if:

– You get needle-like pain in the outer part of your calf to your fourth and fifth toes
– You feel a burning sensation at the back of your calf and thigh, down to your heel
– It’s hard to walk on your toes or heels

The following are some other common causes of sciatica:

– Muscle spasm in the buttocks or back
– Pregnancy
Spondylolisthesis
– Lumbar spinal stenosis
– Lumbar degenerative disc disease
– Sacroiliac joint dysfunction

Prev Next