The Easter Bunny Is An Essential Service
Today is the last day of school before the Easter break. Without all the accommodations that we make to try to have a semblance of a routine, I'm hoping that it will feel more like a normal week. Springtime is usually so hectic with various responsibilities, so we often just stay home as a family. It's a chance to recharge with board game marathons and getting out in the woods.
It's a good time to search for those elusive signs of spring and seek out things that rejuvenate us. There are online concerts to watch. Spring projects to start. Eggs to decorate. I hope you all have a blessed Easter!
Ironically, as I was waiting for the rest of the family to be done with online schooling for the day (internet is in high demand between 8:30 and 12:30), I got a message from a client about the very issue that I was planning to post today. So I hope this helps!
Piriformis
Many people call me and say “My sciatica is acting up again!” The sciatic nerve is the biggest nerve outside of the spinal column. At the base of your back, a pair of nerves branches off like a Y to go down each side. They provide nerve supply to the hamstrings, lower leg and foot. True sciatica means the nerve is being compressed in the spine. This is a case for a doctor.
Piriformis syndrome, or Pseudo Sciatica, occurs when the piriformis muscle compresses the nerve. Here is a job for your friendly neighbourhood massage therapist. We are mostly familiar with our glutes, a very important group of muscles in our hips. Underneath the glutes is the piriformis muscle. It starts at the sacrum (tailbone) and attaches to the very top of your upper leg bone (femur). When it contracts, it rotates your leg out to the side, so it’s called a lateral rotator muscle.
Think about how people sit when they are relaxed. If they aren’t crossing their legs, their knees are probably relaxed out to the side. We very rarely sit with our legs parallel to each other. If our legs are rotated out, the piriformis is kept short and tight.
Tight piriformis muscles squeeze the sciatic nerve, which travels right past it.
Pinched nerves mean pain, numbness or tingling.
This is very common in truck drivers, farmers, and equipment operators.
Piriformis Stretch
Find a counter or table that is close to hip height.
Bending your knee, put your lower leg flat on the counter so that your shin is parallel to your body
Bend over your shin, until you feel a stretch in the back of your hip. By bending at the knee, you are taking the hamstrings out of the equation and you actually get the stretch where you need it.
I tried to find a picture, but was unable to find one I could legally use. There are many videos online that you can find in a quick search for piriformis stretch.
Modified
If you are unable to stand on one leg, or get your leg up on a counter:
Lay on your back, and put your right foot flat on the floor, so your knee is bent up in a triangle. Rest your left ankle on top of your right knee. Your left leg should be bent in a horizontal triangle. Slowly raise your right leg towards your chest. Don’t forget to breathe.
This is also a great stretch to do first thing in the morning, before you get out of bed.
Self Massage
Lean against the wall with the ball between your hip and the wall. Adjust the ball placement until it’s at the sore spot. Use just enough pressure to “feel it”, not so much that it hurts.
Rock against the ball, either up and down or side to side. Some people like to do this on the floor for deeper pressure.
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