In order to get long-term sciatica back pain relief, especially when its in the form of piriformis pain, you have to start with the root cause - muscle imbalances. This means you have to find the muscle imbalances that you have and then work towards correcting and improving them. You can find a clear explanation of what muscle imbalances here in Muscle Imbalance - The Secret Source Of Piriformis Pain and Sciatica Back Pain.
Don't be put off by the technical terminology; it’s not difficult to understand the foundations of the pain you’re going through. And even more importantly it’s not difficult to treat and even cure sciatica back pain. All you need is the right information (from those who know what they’re talking about) and the right methods.
So how do you do find out which muscle imbalances you have and how to work on them to eliminate your pain? There's a simple 3 step approach to doing this that has worked with every type of sciatica back pain for hundred of thousands of real people just like you. From piriformis pain to herniated disk pain, this is how to go about healing the body...
Step 1: Pinpoint the Cause You do this by finding out which condition you actually have. For example, is it piriformis pain? That means you have piriformis muscle syndrome. And you don’t even need to pay anyone to determine this - there are special "self assessments" you can learn to do yourself that will identify what’s wrong in the body causing the pain in the back-pelvis-leg region. (By the way, piriformis pain is the most common form of sciatic pain.) Then you can find out the muscle imbalances that created it and attack them directly. The simple self assessment tests for sciatica back pain I mentioned before will show you how to do this. More on that later.
Step 2: Treat the Symptoms So you’ve done that and found out what’s painfully dysfunctional in your body. Great; there’s only one problem – you’re in so much pain you can hardly move! How are you going to implement the treatments that may potentially cure the sciatica or back pain if you're pratically crippled with agony? Obviously you have to reduce the pain way down so you can do what you have to do in the 3rd step. There are techniques that help tremendously with this kind of pain, particularly some simple but precise stretches appropriate for sciatica back pain. You can watch a video of one such stretch in my earlier post, One Of The Best Piriformis Stretches Ever For Relieving Piriformis Pain.
Step 3: Treat the Cause and Condition First remember - pain is an illusion… :-) Just seeing if you were still paying attention. What pain really is basically is a warning signal from your body telling you that you have a problem to fix.
Now that you know what your condition is and are no longer too handicapped with pain to deal with it thanks to Steps 1 and 2, you focus now on the conditions and specific muscle imbalances causing the suffering. As you will have now realized the treatment for sciatica that's appropriate differs depending on the form of sciatica back pain we’re dealing with. Therefore you apply the appropriate treatment methods proven to take care of that problem from years of real-world chronic pain treatment by experts who have dedicated their careers to achieving pain relief for their patients.
Unfortunately this straightforward 3 step approach is not the normal course of action in typical medical treatment out there. You may have experienced this personally - and are still in pain. You MUST addresses the underlying cause of the problem the correct way, not just the symptoms - and NOT with generic exercises that may or may not be right for your specific case of sciatica back pain…
So are you sick and tired of quick fixes that fix nothing? Are ready to enjoy the same lasting sciatica back pain relief over 60,000 people in over 100 countries have gotten from one very special system?
It's real and happening now: All over the world tens of thousands of people have used the information, techniques, strategies and expert guidance in the Lose The Back Pain System to get rid of their sciatica back pain for good. Many of these people had suffered for years and tried every (other) treatment under the sun before finally using this system.
Maybe that’s you, too… If so then you need to take back control of your health and get started using this system right away. It was developed by a team of leading health, fitness and medical professionals and has proven to be far more effective that any other treatment approach being used today. Imagine major long-lasting relief from your back pain or sciatica potentially starting in just 2 days...
Yesterday in my article, Muscle Imbalance - The Secret Source Of Piriformis Pain and Sciatica Back Pain I went into some depth about piriformis muscle syndrome and the most common major cause of piriformis pain - and indeed of most cases of sciatica back pain - muscle imbalances. I encourage you to read it after you've gone over the "commandments" in this article.
That discussion was a little bit technical so as to show the underlying scenarios that lead to piriformis pain. Today I want to simplify things a bit, and be a little tongue-in-cheek too, by giving you, dear reader, the "11 Commandments Of Piriformis Pain". These are the behavior and lifestyle choices anyone suffering from piriformis pain must strongly consider doing to reduce, relieve, and prevent piriformis pain. As a bonus these tips will help with any other type of sciatica back pain as well. Everything's related.
Don't be surprised if your piriformis pain sticks around no matter what else you do if you don't try out the advice below. So without further ado, here are The 11 Commandments Of Piriformis Pain:
1. Thou Shalt Sit Straight One of the worst things you can do to yourself is something you possibly do all day long: Sit down. Because most people slump over into a "C"-shape when they sit and over-stress their spine. This posture normally doesn't hurt you *now*, but it's a documented fact that poor posture = Pain down the road. After years of sitting badly like this, "down the road" has come for many of us...
For more information on dealing with this, click here
2. Thou Shalt Exercise Properly We all need to develop a balanced and stable body and it's even more urgent if you're already suffering from piriformis pain. The problem is so many of the most popular exercises out there make piriformis muscle syndrome even worse by strengthening the wrong muscle groups further, or by neglecting flexibility. The muscle imbalances that lead to the pain in the first place get reinforced and piriformis pain flares up stronger.
For more information on pain-causing muscle imbalances and how to deal with them, click here
3. Thou Shalt Drink Plenty of Water Water is so important to humans it goes without saying. One of the most basic yet common causes of pain is dehydration. Not having enough fluid in the body to keep the body cool, the blood moving, the muscles supple, the tendons relaxed and the discs well hydrated causes pain. Drink more water - and coffee, soda and tea aren't water! They dehydrate you by themselves.
4. Thou Shalt Not Tolerate Chronic Inflammation Inflammation is a primary immune system response to an irritant. The swelling is your body's way of supplying the problem area with antibodies, fresh blood, cells, etc to begin the healing process. And it works pretty flawlessly until age 25 or so, when levels of the healing enzymes critical to controlling this process begin to decline and so inflammation starts running unchecked.
For more on how to stop excessive inflammation cold without poisoning yourself and get the enzymes you need back, click here
5. Thou Shalt Get Better Sleep We spend about a third of our life asleep. And it's time well-spent. Sleep allows the body to heal. It's really the only time your muscles properly relax and recover. All the hormones important for healing and recovery such as human growth hormone are produced at highest levels when we sleep. A consistent lack of quality sleep means your muscles, including the piriformis muscles, don't get enough time to recuperate from the day's stress or repair any injury or imbalance. Definitely bad news for any hopes of piriformis pain relief.
To learn more on getting a good night's sleep, click here
6. Thou Shalt Change The Food Ye Eat-eth The amount of bad inflammation inside you changes based on activity level, the amount and quality of sleep you get, your stress levels, and especially the foods you eat. Certain foods help reduce inflammation; other foods practically light you up with inflammation. The longer your diet is dominated by inflammatory foods, the higher the risk for painful conditions. The food you eat and your piriformis muscle syndrome are linked - it is chronic inflammation of the sciatic nerve in the area where the piriformis interferes with it that creates the pain. The worse your diet the easier it is for this inflammation to happen and for the "fire" to keep going.
To discover some powerful inflammation-fighting foods, click here
7. Thou Shalt Not Wear Heel Lifts Leg-length discrepancies are often caused by our habitual posture; how we stand. Women who always carry babies on one hip, for example, can create discrepancies. Our pelvic muscles are conditioned by our constant habit patterns of posture and movement. The muscle interactions involved are very specific to each condition and each individual. If you don't know exactly what YOUR physical problem is - whether it's actually piriformis muscle syndrome or a herniated disc instead for example - you just can't know exactly what to do to correct it. Heel lifts can help but do not treat the underlying problem.
For more explanation on a better alternative to lifts, click here
8. Thou Shalt Relax Thy Mind Regularly If you have used mainstream medicine, physical therapy, massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, surgery... and are still in pain... consider the possibility that the mind via negative emotions and thoughts and mental stress may be playing a powerful role in making your condition resist treatment...
For some great tips on this, scroll down and check out the articles in the "Mind-Body" category when you click here
9. Thou Shalt Seek The CAUSE Of Your Pain, Not Get Stuck On A Diagnosis Once you have a diagnosis don't believe you necessarily have to cure your labeled condition directly to be pain free. Studies prove you can have a diagnosis and not have pain. You see, there's a "hidden cause" to the pain and it's something very few healthcare professionals know about. Piriformis muscle syndrome is a condition name for the symptoms experienced - the real question is what's causing it?
10. Thou Shalt Get Educated Never stop educating yourself about how to achieve peak pain free health and wellness. You may have come to realize that the name of what you have is "piriformis pain" due to "piriformis muscle syndrome" and that is useful. But the best road to recovery is educating yourself about the whole range of sciatica back pain that exists and acting from that knowledge.
For more education on pain relief in every area, click here
11. Thou Shalt Get Guidance From Experts With A Track Record Of Success This is ultimately the most important "commandment" of all. After all, odds are piriformis pain relief isn't exactly the area of expertise any of us here studied in school or have worked in. Popping some liver-rotting painkillers is about all most of us are ever taught to use. Not knowing how to deal with piriformis pain is normal as it is not a simple issue. Learning from someone who's made helping people with all types of piriformis pain, sciatica, back pain, leg pain and more his life's work only makes sense...
For more information *that works* from someone who has actually helped thousands of people eliminate piriformis pain, click here
I hope you'll do your best to "obey" these "commandments" or show a loved one who is suffering this article. Following the guidelines above will lead you to the specific combination of actions and changes that will free you of the piriformis pain or sciatica you endure, I have no doubt. Get educated and find what works, if you'll work it.
I have a question for you… Did any of the healthcare providers you went to in the past or are visiting now to help you deal with your piriformis pain check you for muscle imbalances? …My crystal ball here is telling me the answer is “No. What’s a muscle imbalance anyway? Nobody ever mentioned anything like that.” And therein lies both the problem and the solution you’re looking for. Let us look a little deeper into this condition…
As I discussed in my article Piriformis Pain and Piriformis Muscle Syndrome: Get The Facts Behind the Suffering, Piriformis Muscle Syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle is displaced from its proper position such that it starts exerting excessive pressure on the sciatic nerve. The Sciatic Nerve is the largest nerve in the body and it is made up of nerves branching out from several vertebrae of the spine bundled together, and then descends down the back of the thigh. This happens various ways, commonly through the muscle being overstressed and becoming inflamed and this inflammation state causes the pressure. The muscle might even be physically shifted into a unhealthy position as well for one reason or the other. The piriformis muscle is responsible for moving your leg so your feet point outward, i.e. rotating your thigh at the hip, so it is near the sciatic nerve. The pressure involved in piriformis muscle syndrome irritates the nerve and leads to inflammation in the area, giving rise to piriformis pain.
Obviously the piriformis muscle is not normally in a state where it inflames the sciatic nerve. So the real question we should be asking is, how did this situation come about? What created your piriformis muscle syndrome? This is where muscle imbalances come into the picture…
What In The World IS a Muscle Imbalance? A muscle imbalance is when one muscle overpowers the opposing muscle or when there is a difference in flexibility of opposing muscles; or a combination of both strength and flexibility differences.
When your muscles are out of balance with each other they pull your bones and joints out of their correct position and this puts your other muscles, bones and joints under constant stress and uneven pressure... The body works as a whole thus muscle imbalances in one area can start a chain of reactions that disturbs the tissues in that body area - or even in another area seemingly nowhere near the actual muscle imbalance.
For example, the proper position of your hips and curvature of your spine are determined by numerous muscles and whether they are balanced with each other or not... There are over 640 muscles in the human body and everything we do affects them, from sitting too much to playing our favorite sports. The lower body is particularly susceptible.
Almost All Cases Of Sciatica Back Pain Have Muscle Imbalances As The Main Cause Of The Pressure Being Placed On The Sciatic Nerve Specifically, piriformis pain is the most common manifestation of this distortion in the natural structural alignment of the body in the region of the sciatic nerve. Muscle Imbalance develop either through a traumatic event, or through a long process of lifestyle choices (habits of movement or inactivity), or a combination of both. For many people it's a gradual development of the muscle imbalance in your hip due to your everyday activities and the rise of the awful symptoms as a result. Over time that muscle gets tight from the positions you put yourself in plus it weakens from lack of use.
Let me give you some examples of what I mean: 1. If you sit on the edge of your chair with your legs apart and your feet pointing outward then you're keeping your piriformis muscle in a shortened position - This makes it tighten up gradually and if you do that all the time then it also weakens from lack of use. Voila: muscle imbalance!
2. On the other side of the spectrum, runners and bikers aren't sedentary but they often fail to maintain a strength vs. stretch balance in their workouts. This causes muscle imbalance because their piriformis muscle shortens and gets tight as it becomes stronger from the exercise, overpowering other muscles in the hip region. This leads - you guessed it - to an irritated sciatic nerve creating piriformis pain.
Many of us are sedentary or tend to be if we don't watch ourselves, Many of us are/have become exercise fanatics - and many of us are somewhere in between at any given time. Whether you're a runner or a keyboard athlete :-) or neither, I'll bet you have muscle imbalances that are causing your piriformis pain too.
Will learning one new stretch be enough? It very well may be. However depending on how severe your condition you may need to do more. For example don't sit in the way described above; do exercises/sports like tennis, rollerblading, basketball, etc that involve a wide range of motion in your hips. More directly, corrective exercises tailored to your specific situation to correct your muscle imbalances are likely necessary.
Learn as much as you can about your condition, so that you can ask the tough questions to your healthcare providers and get the best care possible.... But realize that your well-meaning local pain specialist may not have gotten any education on sciatica or sub-forms of it like piriformis muscle syndrome. This is one of those cases that emphasizes the fact that your own health is always ultimately in your own hands.
And in that spirit of knowing the facts and helping your own self, I sincerely suggest and recommend you get a copy of the Free book, The 7-Day Back Pain Cure: How Thousands of People Got Relief Without Doctors, Drugs or Surgery written by Jesse Cannone CPT, CPRS. He's been a featured guest on NBC and co-founded The Healthy Back Institute. In it he covers everything from all the true causes of sciatica back pain, to how to do accurate self-diagnosis, to a whole range of easy-to-do treatment methods that you tailor to your personal needs. The "secrets", the expert knowledge in this book has allowed literally tens of thousands of people over the years to cure themselves of every back pain and sciatica condition especially piriformis pain. And did I mention it's for FREE?
