吠陀生活驛站/Veda Inn

(中文版在後半部)
/PHOTOS BY EMMA LIAO

Sciatica is more than just a literal pain in the butt (and back and legs). When it strikes, it can cause misery and debilitating pain, instantly putting a damper on your life.

The sciatic nerve runs right through the piriformis, a tiny but powerful muscle deep in your glutes that helps laterally rotate your hips. If it gets too tight, it can impinge the sciatic nerve that runs through or under it, causing tremendous pain, tingling and numbness in your lower extremities.

If you find yourself the victim of sciatica (especially if it's caused by a sedentary lifestyle), try these for stretches to help relieve the pain:

1. Piriformis Stretch

Laying on your back, place both feet flat on the floor with knees bent. Rest your right ankle over the left knee and pull the left thigh toward your chest.Hold stretch for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.Remember to keep the top foot flexed to protect your knee.

2. Seated Hip Stretch

While in a seated position, cross your right leg over your straightened left leg.Hug your right knee with your left arm, making sure to keep your back straight.Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds, and then repeat on the opposite side.

3. Pigeon Pose

Start in Downward-Facing Dog pose with your feet together.Draw your right knee forward and turn it out to the right so your right leg is bent and your left leg is extended straight behind you. Slowly lower both legs.Hold the position for five to ten breaths, then switch to the other side.

4. Self-Trigger Point Therapy

Performing self trigger-point therapy using a lacrosse or tennis ball can be very effective at delivering sciatica pain relief.All you have to do is find a painful spot in the glutes, place the ball at that location and then relax your body into the ball.Hold this position for 30-60 seconds or until you notice a significant reduction in pain. Move to the next painful spot. The total time spent on this exercise should be between 5-10 minutes.Practicing these four exercises once or twice a day can definitely bring you much needed sciatica pain relief.

坐骨神經痛多發生在屁股、背部和腿部之間，只有痛苦一詞可形容。來襲時，它可能會導致痛苦和衰弱，瞬間把你的生活帶入黑白的境界。

坐骨神經直接貫穿梨狀肌，梨狀肌雖然微小，但卻是強大存在臀部的深層肌肉，幫助你的臀部橫向旋轉。如果它變得太緊，就可能衝擊或貫穿坐骨神經，引起巨大的疼痛，並造成下肢的刺痛和麻木。

如果你發現自己坐骨神經痛（尤其是如果它造成必須久坐的生活方式）的受害者，嘗試這些延伸的練習運動，以幫助緩解疼痛：

1. 梨狀肌拉伸
   你的背部平躺，將雙腳平放在地上膝蓋彎曲。你的右腳踝放在左膝上方休息，將左大腿拉向你的胸部。持拉伸30秒，另一側重複同樣動作。
   記住要保持腳底板彎曲向內，以保護你的膝蓋。
   
   
   

    

2. 伸展髖關節坐姿
   呈現坐姿，左邊的腿伸直，右腿向上交叉在你的左腿上。用你的左臂擁抱你的右膝蓋，並確保保持背部挺直。持續這種伸展30-60秒，然後重複在相反側。
   
   
    
   

3. 鴿姿勢
   雙腳併攏，從下犬式開始。你的右膝蓋向前，屈膝呈現英雄式，左腿伸直向身體後方延伸。右膝向外側轉，慢慢放下雙腿靠近地板。這姿勢維持五到十次深呼吸，然後切換到另一邊。
   
   
   
   
   

4. 自我觸發點治療
   使用網球或曲棍球執行自我觸發點治療可以非常有效地緩解坐骨神經痛疼痛。您需要做的就是找到臀部痛苦的地方，把球在那個位置，然後放鬆身體讓球按摩疼痛處。保持這個姿勢30-60秒，或直到你發現疼痛顯著減輕時，就可移動到下一個痛苦的地方。這項治療工作應該是要花5至10分鐘之間。