hey everybody it's Doctor Jo and princess Remy, and today we're going to talk about
sciatica. is it piriformis syndrome or herniated disc? so let's get started. yeah!
so if you haven't subscribed already, make sure and click on the button down
there. so it's sciatica. it can be coming from a herniated disc or it can be
coming from piriformis syndrome because that sciatic nerve starts at your spine
and it goes all the way down the back of your leg. and so sometimes it gets press
on that piriformis because it goes underneath that muscle. so a lot of times
you just are having that leg pain numbness, tingling, weakness, and you're
not sure where it's coming from. so if you haven't gone to your doctor or
physical therapist to be diagnosed yet, there are a couple of simple things that
you can try, but I'd really recommend going and having somebody else check you
out just to be on the safe side. so a piriformis syndrome it's usually a tight
piriformis. that's what happens that that sciatic nerve runs underneath it.
so if it's pushing because it's tight, then it's going to compress that nerve
and give you that pain. so a easy way to see if that piriformis muscle is tight
is to roll over onto your stomach. and so once you roll over onto your stomach,
you're gonna bring both legs up into this position, and then really simply
you're just gonna roll your foot out because this motion stretches out that
piriformis muscles. so you can just kind of, if you can do it in front of a mirror
that would probably be best. if you do it with somebody else they can check for
you, but you're just gonna drop it over and then drop your other one over and
see if there's a big difference. so mine actually is a little bit tight on my
right side, and I do know that I don't actually have sciatic symptoms, but I do
know it's a little bit tighter. you can drop them both at the same time also to
see if there's a significant difference with that. so that's a pretty easy way to
test if your piriformis is tight, and that it might be piriformis syndrome
instead of a herniated disc. while you're in this position, you can also check to
see if it's a herniated disc. when you are lying down flat on your stomach,
if you come up into this position keeping your hips down, when it's a
herniated disc a lot of times you can have a couple different reactions to
that the first time you do it. sometimes it will reproduce those symptoms just by
pushing up and you'll feel it, but if you do it a couple times or hold that
position, usually your symptoms actually get a little bit better because by
extending up into that position with your back you're kind of pushing that
disc back in which will take pressure off of that nerve. so you might feel a
little worse at first when you come up, but if you continue to do it it will
feel better. but if you come up and you feel it when you do this, and then it's
probably not your piriformis is causing that leg nerve pain. so that's another
good way to kind of say it's a piriformis causing the pain or is it a
herniated disc causing the pain. so a pretty easy way to stretch the
piriformis, you can do this sitting in a chair or you can do it lying down as
well, but the first stretch is a figure 4 piriformis stretch. and it's really
easy to do. if you want to lie it all the way down you can, you don't have to, but
you're just gonna take the leg of this side that you're feeling it on and cross
it over. and we call it a figure four because if you look down it looks like a
the number four when you cross your leg. and then keeping your back straight
you're just gonna lean up into it like this. you should feel a stretch right
through there. so again you can say you can do this sitting in a chair as long
as you keep your back pretty straight and bend forward at your hips. so you're
not curling over and do that, I don't feel a stretch with that. keeping my back
straight and leaning in and pushing in like that and so by doing that that will
just stretch out that piriformis muscle. hold it for 30 seconds and do that 3
times. another good stretch to help us stretch out the piriformis, sometimes if
people don't feel it with this stretch. another stretch is bringing your knee to
your opposite shoulder. so if you're kind of lying down, you're going to bring this
knee up and take it, grab it with your other hand, and pull up and across your
body. so again you should feel it right through there. so make sure you like,
I'm just bringing it up so I can talk to you, but make sure your whole body is
nice and relaxed. but I'm not just coming up. it's not a
knee to chest, I'm coming up and over like I'm pulling
that knee towards that opposite chest. so again you're going to hold that stretch
for 30 seconds, do it three times. some people like to bring the other leg up
which you can do and still pull it up and over and that will just take a
little pressure off of your lower back as well. so that's a good way to stretch
out that piriformis. if you think it's a herniated disc, rolling back onto your
stomach and doing what we call prone pop props pops prone pops, on your elbows is
a good way again like I talked about, kind of like that test, if you just come
up and kind of push like this that extension movement sometimes helps push
that disc back in. so if you hold this position in the beginning it might be a
little uncomfortable, but it should feel a little bit better. if it continues to
feel uncomfortable, I wouldn't keep doing it. make sure you go see your doctor or
physical therapist. but if it feels good and you feel like you can go a little
bit more, then come up a little bit more - almost like a pushup position, but
always keep your hips down. so you want the top part of your hips to always stay
on the floor or the mat. so it's not coming up like this, it's really getting
that bend at your lower back. and then another great one for the herniated disc,
just to kind of get everything moving and stretched out, is the cat dog or some
people call it cat cow, some people call it cat camel, a whole bunch of different
stuff but getting on all fours, or in quadrupeds, try and make sure your
shoulders are directly above your hands. just to keep everything even and then
you're going to start off with the cat where you tuck in your chin and arch
your back up into this position. you only have to hold it for maybe 5 to 10
seconds, and then drop your hips down and bring your head up into the dog position.
so the same thing just 5 to 10 seconds. you might feel this one a little bit
more again but just kind of alternate back and forth doing
three each way. so that's just gonna be enough to get that lower back moving and
if you happen to have a herniated disc in there, that's gonna loosen everything
up and really make it feel better. So there you go. so was sciatica
piriformis syndrome, or a herniated disc. if you'd like to help support my channel,
make sure and click on the link up there, and don't forget to subscribe by
clicking down there. yeah. and remember be safe, have fun (like Remy),
And I hope you feel better soon.