Sciatica Pain – Tips for Walking it Away
It is common knowledge among holistically practicing people that inflammation of body parts and their organs is the root cause of most aches, pains, sicknesses, and diseases. Simple little tweaks in the way we eat, exercise, sleep, and hydrate can make a big difference in our overall health improvement goals. Today we are going to talk about sciatica pain, what it is, and how to identify it. Then we will give some tips on how to improve your walking for sciatica relief. Let’s get started…
Understanding Sciatica
Despite what most may think, sciatica isn’t just one nerve in the body that causes severe pain. The sciatic nerve is a bundle of nerves that make up five nerve roots that branch off down the spinal cord along both sides of your body. Each nerve cord, as I like to call them (which is very unscientific, lol), runs up and down through the hips and buttocks. They continue through each leg and stop a bit below the knee. The sciatica splits and then connects to other smaller nerves located in the lower leg, which include the foot and toes. This nerve is the thickest and largest nerve contained in the body, and it is about as wide as a penny.
Your lower back, hips, buttocks, and legs may be affected when you have sciatic nerve pain. And the experience isn’t a joke – I have experienced the wrath of sciatica. The pain was so severe that it had me calling on Jesus! At times, intense pain can be felt down to your feet and toes, depending on the specific nerve or nerves that are inflamed.
There are Two Types of Sciatica
Sciatica is not a condition. It is viewed as a symptom and there are a variety of reasons for its cause. In addition, there are also two types of sciatica that should be considered when looking for ways to relieve your pain.
True Sciatica occurs when a specific injury or condition directly affects the sciatic nerve.
Conditions that Mimic Sciatica – This can be tricky because it feels like sciatica; However, the reason for the pain isn’t specifically due to an injury or condition like true sciatica. It’s more related to the bundle of nerves that are inflamed, causing the sciatic nerve to signal a warning to the body called pain.
Healthcare professionals commonly refer to both types of sciatica as “sciatica.” The distinctions between them are typically only relevant when your healthcare professional decides upon a treatment.
Factors that Lead to Sciatica Pain
As we mature, many of us will find that just living life leads to body pain. I mean, for myself, I am in awe at how the body functions and perplexed when I encounter such things as walking normally, then all of a sudden I lose my balance because my knee gives out. Or I’m walking down the stairs to get coffee and have to grab the handle rail immediately due to the sharp pain in my left ankle.
I mention the above to say that there are many factors that can lead to sciatica pain, some known and others just a mystery. When I went through my sciatica experience, I just woke up in intense pain. I really don’t remember doing anything strenuous that led to it.
There are many reasons why sciatica can happen. You may be able to pinpoint it yourself because of the obvious, such as an old sports injury. Any damage to the spine can put one at risk for sciatica.
Letting your stomach hang over your belt line is another reason for your backside to be unhappy. The spine is constructed like a crane. The spine, also known as the crane, supports the weight of your body in the front when you stand up straight. Think of the muscles in your back and what they have to do. Your back muscles are the winch and the cable of the crane. They are using strength and power while pulling you up to keep your posture vertical. Any excess weight you have in your core leads to wear and tear, and eventually you may have issues.
However, not all the time does a large gut lead to sciatica. Normal wear and tear from a job where you are physically harsh on your body can lead to osteoarthritis, a herniated disk, pinched nerves, and other problems.
Lack of strength in the core is also a consideration when it comes to sciatica. The band of muscles that wrap around the back and abdomen in the stomach is the core. Going back to the analogy of the crane, having a strong support in the ore is an upgrade, regardless of weight.
There are countless factors that can cause sciatica pain, including smoking, prolonged sitting, diabetes, and improper posture when lifting heavy objects.
Sciatica Causes
Sciatica can occur as a result of any disorder affecting the sciatic nerve. It can also occur as a result of disorders affecting any of the five spinal nerves that constitute the sciatic nerve.
The various conditions that can cause sciatica include: Injuries, pregnancy, herniated disks, degenerative disk disease, osteoarthritis, tumors, cysts, cauda equia syndrome, conus medullas syndrome, spondylolisthesis, foraminal stenosis, and spinal stenosis.
The Symptoms
Pain from the pressure on the affected nerve or nerves. This pain has been described as shocking or electrifying and has a burning sensation. It feels like it is running down your leg on the affected side. This is what some of my friends have told me during discussions of our sciatica stories. For me, I felt the pain from the tips of my fingers on my right hand down my back, buttocks, and thighs. It was the worst pain I ever felt, besides childbirth.
Pins and needles, or Tingling paresthesia, is the feeling you get when your foot has fallen asleep because the blood circulation has stopped flowing towards your foot.
Numbness, which is something I definitely felt as I touched the skin of my right hand, made the whole area around my thumb sensitive to touch. My massage therapist informed me that numbness could be a result of the nerve signals not being able to reach my hand.
My Self Care for Sciatica
I am an avid walker, walking for long periods of time over long distances is something I’ve done since I was a teenager. At first, it was out of necessity because I didn’t have a car. But, as I grew into womanhood, I found it to be a great way to relieve stress and maintain my weight.
When I had my first and only experience feeling the horror of sciatica, the only thing that came to mind at the time that was causing it was walking. I felt like maybe I wasn’t getting enough arch support from my shoes, my posture wasn’t correct, or maybe I didn’t stretch enough.
There are many factors and solutions to getting rid of and relieving sciatica. My focus today is to offer a few walking tips to avoid sciatica. Surprisingly enough, during my research, one of the reasons why walking is a good remedy for sciatica pain is because of the endorphins that are released while walking. Also, the increase of oxygen and blood flow helps reduce inflammation. I often tell people who ask me why I walk so much that, “Everyone needs some form of exercise, whether you are skinny or fat.” “Walking for me increases oxygen to my brain, relieves stress, and helps me control weight gain.” Unfortunately, the very thing I love can harm me if I don’t do it properly and with balance. Which I believe was a factor for me. Poor walking posture may have aggravated my body, causing it to scream, “You need to do better!”
So here are a few tips that I have incorporated into my walking routine: I hope you enjoy it.
Engaging the Core for Spine Support
Taking care of your spine is a must, no pun intended, but it is the backbone of all of the muscular systems. Having a strong core helps support the spine. To preserve your sciatic nerve roots, it is suggested that you reduce the pressure on your spine. This can be done by being active with the abdominal muscles. When walking incorrectly, the tension and exhaustion of these muscles increase significantly.
These are a few suggestions you may find informative on how to use your abdominal muscles to avoid potential sciatic pain.
Breathing Incorporating focused breathing into your walking routine keeps the mind focused. Try to maintain rhythmic, deep breaths.
Posture Having a correct posture helps the disk in the spine to align, so stand up straight! Keep your head upright and your shoulders tall as you stride. Feel the energy, and see the beauty around you while focusing on a spot in the distance.
Stomach Control Tuck your stomach in. Keep a comfortable pace and pull your gut in slightly toward your body for the duration of your walk; engaging your abdominal muscles might be difficult if you walk too rapidly. Try not to strain by pulling too hard on the abdominal muscles. Maintain what is comfortable for you.
Adjust your stride
The way we walk is another matter that should be considered when protecting the sciatic nerve. To avoid sciatica pain, first examine how your foot makes contact with the surface you are walking on, the length of the stride, and the pace of walking. Because poor walking posture can induce lumbar disc compression and sciatic nerve irritation.
Use these pointers to correct your stride:
Slow Down Shorten your stride by taking a slower pace where you are able to walk and talk at the same time.
Roll the Toes Don’t lead with your toes. Instead, land between your midfoot and heel, then roll onto your toes and properly
The Last Two Cents
Your health is your wealth, period. Improving your health over time is beneficial to the quality of your life. I hope the above was informative and inspiring enough to make you think about making small changes to relax, stay calm, and be pain-free.