Sciatic..... NERVE!

anybody who has had any experience with this big bother raise your hand and say "I"! "I" that was me saying I. I've talked some about the SI joint... if you missed that blog look over to your left <-------- and scroll though and you will find SI joint, click on that and in that blog you an idea of where the SI joint is in your body. Here is a picture of where "middle" point is for the Sciatic nerve. The Sacrum.

Going with that we have a nerve that runs through this joint, which we call Sciatica. It is the longest and largest nerve in our body measuring the thickness of our thumb at it's largest point... that is NO JOKE- It starts at about L4-5 (lumbar area) to the top of the S1-2 (sacrum).

The cause of pain can come from this like a disc herniation, any type of irritation of it or inflammation of the nerve (aka nerve compression).

Typically, you find your self in pain from the low back all the way to you feet (or rather foot). You can experience burning, numbness, tingling or just straight up electric shock. It makes things like walking, bending at the waist, twisting... just plain moving difficult. Lying down is your best bet till things start to settle down. Then go to your nearest Chiropractor.

From my experience, it was the most horrible pain I felt.... and I hate to say worse than giving birth, but I say that only because while giving birth... I was on drugs :) Gotta love the epidurals! My experience went something like this: I was 16 years old, bending over in dance class, stretching my hamstrings... as I was coming up this shock came about and this pain in my butt down to my leg was like a fire shock wave. I tired to walk over to my spot to start dancing, but the pain was unbearable. I ended up on my back with my legs on a chair. My older brother, Bill, had to come pick me up carry me to the car... Carry me up the stairs to the chiropractor's office to get an adjustment. That was the most painful adjustment I have ever had, but thankfully, after about two weeks of adjustments, I was much better. You know what that Chiropractor said to me.....???? He told me if I wanted to continue to dance I better learn how to use my CORE! NO JOKE. I was all quad and butt back then. All through High School and up until I went to UC Irvine, where I had GREAT dance training, I always had this underlying pain from the inflammation. So, it takes a while for the pain and damage a while to go away :( When it was time to graduate it was gone. I believe that with my practice of Pilates, my spine is able to hold in it's right place. My core is supporting it.

The best way to prevent it to happen is by doing major core conditioning... I.E. PILATES. If you have gone through this pain, and have gone to a chiropractor, it's time to do some rehabilitation.... Pilates, with me as a certified Pilates instructor, I can help you with that. :)