Hi,
A new friend of mine travels extensively and has been plagued by sciatic pain for years. Before she left for her current three month trip to Australia I treated her, working on all of the muscles of her pelvis, low back, and legs (all the way to her feet). It worked well and she felt better than she had in a very long time. I also taught her how to do the Julstro self-treatments so she could help herself as she traveled.
But (here’s the rub), the sciatic pain keeps coming back! Fortunately she can do the self-treatments and it’s keeping it in check and giving her relief, but it keeps returning. We’re still trying to work out a permanent solution, but I figured out something that may help her and I want to share it with you in case you’re having a similar problem.
Here’s the email I just sent to her:
I’m glad that you’re at least able to get some relief from the sciatica, but I’ve been thinking about how to stop its return and I have an idea. At night, do a backward arch (with your belly out front and your head and legs curling backward). That will give a stretch to your psoas muscle which seriously contracts while we sleep, especially if you sleep on your side. In the morning, before you get out of bed, bend your legs so you can reach your thighs without having to sit up, and take the heel of your hand (or your pvc pipe) and work on the rectus femoris muscle in your thigh. Then, when you have finished that do the backward stretch. I have a feeling if you can release the tension on your pelvis before you even try to get out of bed that it will help.
During the day, even if you aren’t having any pain at all, take the heel of your hand and press on your quadriceps, and then when you stand up do a stretch (keeping your pelvis still and bending only from above your waistline). The more you can do this, the better
Then, when you have the time and you’re in a place (your hotel room?) where you can spend more time on it, do the treatments with the ball to release all the other tight muscles.
There MUST be an answer, it’s just a matter of us finding it.
If you are having chronic sciatica and you’re already doing the full Julstro Protocol, I hope you’ll give this idea a try and then let me know how it works for you.
It’s always my opinion that after the physician’s have eliminated everything possible, that the cause of pain has to be muscular. Then it’s just a matter of figuring out why the muscles are tightening and pulling on the bones, or impinging on the nerve and veins/arteries. Fortunately it works 98% of the time.
When we figure out how to help my friend, and she remains pain-free, you can be assured that I’ll be coming onto the blog and letting you know.
Wishing you well,
Julie