“You don’t know what you got ‘till it’s gone.” It couldn’t have been said any better than when I listened to the 80’s hair band playing this song out of the Alpine speakers in my stepdads car on the way to school many moons ago. When I have a headache, upset stomach, or a bad case of seasonal allergies causing havoc on my sinuses, I wish I was in a normal unafflicted state. These symptoms take days or even weeks to dissipate, I rarely find myself thinking about my present state when I don’t have headaches, a sour stomach, or my allergies are going haywire. I suppose when my body is in a neutral point of homeostasis, I don’t have to notice anything suboptimal occurring. It’s easy to notice when we’re in pain. Yet, it’s challenging to acknowledge when things are going well around us.
This same feeling of noticing how things are going wrong could be said about physical pain. A typical example we see among newer personal training clients is sciatica. Better known as a burning, zinging, throbbing, and “nervy” pain pulsating down the buttocks, the back of the leg, along the calf, and the heel, managing sciatica is just as undesirable as dealing with the repercussions of food poisoning. This unique symptom contributing to a lack of mobility, disruption of sleep, and a negatively affected psychological and emotional state gets its name from interference to the proper functioning of the sciatic nerve. A person dealing with sciatica might as well say they’re sick.
The nervous system is responsible for transferring electric signals from the brain and spinal cord to organs so they can perform their duties of allowing the body to operate correctly. The sciatic nerve is unique due to its large physical structure and length. It originates at the base of the spine and covers the landscape of the entire back half of the leg. Signals to innervate lower extremity muscles to contract are sent from this main message center to the lower extremities. The sciatic nerve is a significant structure toward the optimal function of one of the most critical actions we perform in our everyday lives, walking and standing.
Waking up from sleep and having a “pins and needles” feeling in your arm after laying on it for a few hours is a classic case of what happens when a nerve gets compressed. The good news is, after a few moments of discomfort, this “dead arm” feeling dissipates. Similar symptoms occur with the presentation of sciatica. The large nerve that covers the back of our lower extremities gets compressed, causing neuropathy. However, these symptoms aren’t as simple as accidentally sleeping on an area of the body and causing temporary tingling in the area. Sciatica is far more complicated.
The compression of the sciatic nerve can occur due to vertebrae or spinal disc pressing on a portion of the nerve or a tight muscle pushing down it. Spinal disruptions are complicated and require dedication and adherence to a structured rehabilitation program professionally designed by a physical therapist or spinal specialist. However, before going down the route of thinking something devastating has happened to the spine, aiming for the low-hanging fruit to alleviate sciatica can resolve this issue via muscle conditioning. Ruling out muscular disturbance causing sciatica is an attainable method with the potential to relieve sciatica and contribute to ruling out spinal problems.
One such symptom contributing to sciatica is compression of the nerve caused by tight gluteal and hip muscles. The piriformis muscle is the star of the deep hip muscles that gets plenty of attention when sciatica is creating havoc on the body. Getting its name from the Latin definition of “pear-shaped form,” the piriformis makes its home directly over the top of the sciatic nerve. Usually a friendly neighborly duo, the piriformis and sciatic nerve typically hang out and function harmoniously. However, when the piriformis has a bad day, it tightens and presses down on the sciatic nerve.
Muscular imbalances are usually caused by an insufficient fitness level. Sure, we can blame a tight muscle’s presence on how much we sit all day as a desk jockey or commuter. Sitting more will equates to the hips boney structure compressing the sciatic nerve. However, adhering to a consistent and effective fitness routine is a commonly forgotten contributor to mitigating sciatica. Possessing adequate muscular strength, mobility, and blood flow to the musculature of the hips significantly decreases the risk of hip muscles like the piriformis from tightening up and compressing the sciatic nerve.
Living life pain-free is far more enjoyable than living in pain. Similar to how eating the right food and getting enough sleep contributes to fending off headaches and upset stomachs, consistently adhering to a lower body fitness routine ensures sciatica and other lower back problems stay out of the picture. Fight against the urge to notice what’s going wrong in the body and switch the line of thought to what’s going right. Focusing on tactics that reinforce what makes the body feel good is a magnificent mindset to be in.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
