Even if they haven’t experienced it, most people have heard of sciatica. In fact, approximately 40% of adults in the United States have or have had sciatica.
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, running from the lower back to the buttocks/glutes, down the legs, to the feet. This nerve is very sensitive and any pressure on it can cause pain and/or discomfort for people of all ages. The most common causes of sciatica are nerve compression, irritation, and/or lumbar radiculopathy with nerve root involvement. Often sciatica is felt on only one side of the body but can affect both legs, including the back. Sciatica is often described as the feeling of numbness, tingling, muscular weakness, difficulty moving or controlling the leg, electrical pulses, and/or sharp or severe pain along the sciatic nerve.
Tai Chi and Qigong have been gaining popularity because they are effective at relieving stress and a variety of other health issues, including sciatica. Sciatica symptoms are reduced or eliminated by relaxing and improving blood flow to affected areas of the lower back, buttocks, and legs. Both Qigong and Tai Chi exercises strengthen back muscles and involve a greater degree of movement than most exercises. However, movements are slow, flowing, and deliberate, without any jarring motions, bouncing, or excessive twisting which would negatively impact on the spine.
Tai Chi and Qigong’s gentle, relaxed, circular movements gently open the joints and stretch the muscles, reducing compression on the nerve roots and relieving sciatic pain. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) blockages or stagnation of Qi energy are the cause of pain and illness in the body. Energy pathways are opened, and blockages are reduced and/or eliminated by the practice of Tai Chi and/or Qigong. Even though there are many styles and forms of Tai Chi and Qigong, they all stimulate the natural energy forces in the body, which aids the body in healing itself.
A study reported in the 2012 Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Journal revealed that Tai Chi was an important part of management of chronic pain as an adaptive exercise, mind-body interaction, and meditation. Many of the positive results stem from the general health improvement, improved muscular condition and control, improved posture, and mobility. However, neither Tai Chi nor Qigong alone are cures for sciatica or chronic back pain.
Both Tai Chi and Qigong focus on:
improved posture, balance, and alignment.
focused and rhythmical breathing which emphasizes and encourages a relaxed body and strong, improved circulation.
a meditative state of mind which along with the above, dissipates stress and anxiety, and helps relieve pain.
Tai Chi and Qigong practice helps to realign the vertebrae, which in turn reduces pressure on the spine. Practitioners learn to be more aware of how to move and rest in a properly aligned manner. Training the body to avoid slouching and/or rounding the shoulders and better spinal alignment reduces stress on the spine and, therefore, reduces pain caused by poor alignment. Tai Chi and Qigong movements strengthen the muscles around the spine, including the abdominals and hamstrings. The result is that they also become more flexible, which in turn improves posture and reduces back pain.
Most people are aware that stress is a factor in causing and/or exacerbating many forms of back pain. The deep, focused breathing in conjunction with Tai Chi and Qigong movements clear the mind, improve focus, and induce a sort of meditative state and stress release.
Research has shown that proprioception or “position sense” is also improved with Tai Chi. This alone helps reduce awkward, jerking movements which aggravate existing back pain and/or sciatica. A side benefit: evidence also shows Tai Chi reduces the chance of falls (or second falls) in the elderly.
Anyone with serious back pain, sprain, or a slipped or bulging disc should not attempt Tai Chi or Qigong without first speaking to a medical professional. However, both Tai Chi and Qigong can be important non-pharmacologic adjuncts to a medically directed program for alleviating difficult low back and sciatic nerve problems. They may also prevent future sciatic issues!
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