Sciatica, what helped me

[Distressed Mullet]

Explain the tennis ball or lacrosse ball thing.  You sit on it and it helps relieve the pain.  Sounds like it would be the pain in the ***

Please explain

I wish there was a video. This is tough to explain. You actually put the ball on the ground and roll it around the center of your glutes. On each side. It gets deep in the muscle by that periformis and stretches things out. You sort of hold yourself above it. And it is a pain in the a**. Anyone??

[SoCalSupper]

ive done it-tennis ball no good-lacrosse ball is perfect-a little on the hard side but just regulate how much wait you put on it.

Also a foam roller made of harder foam is fantastic- i use the foam roller on my back at least 2-3 times a day-you can hear your spine self-align-lay down-put it just under the base of your skull and stretch that neck out for about 30 seconds-then hands over head-bring your legs up under you-and start rolling 1-2 feet back and forth working from your neck down to your lumbar-aaaahhhh!!.
switch to the side and roll out your side glutes if the ball thing is not working for you, its gonna hurt a little but stick with it and you will feel a lot better-drink lots of water too because this releases nasties into your blood stream.  Kinda freaky but true...

[pdxmike]

I recently found out I may have a genetic predisposition to spinal misalignment, which made me angry until I resolved not to get bent out of shape about it. 

[whit]

My hamstrings always get tight when I'm driving a lot.  That's why I use the ball in the car.  I can drop it behind my back and get a massage by pressing my back against the car seat and rolling the ball around.  The same with putting it under my hip and shifting my weight around.  Doing toe touches properly helps stretch my hamstrings.  I have to remember to suck in my belly button when touching my toes and ease into it, keeping my legs bent at the knees until my hamstrings are warmed up and lower back is loose.  I only started to SUP this past summer, but i've been around yoga for a while.  3 years ago, I got sciatica playing golf.  There was a POW in my gluteal muscle and my thigh became rock hard, it felt like a raw nerve was exposed from my neck down past the inside of my shoulder blade through my butt/hip and around and down my thigh and along my shin to my ankle.  Ouch!  That summer was super hot, i wasn't properly hydrating and was not stretching like i should. Anyway, i'm ok now. Often, i need to learn the hard way.  I stepped up the yoga and got some acupuncture treatments.  And now i'm dating my acupuncturist/yoga instructor, too! And I'm more careful stretching before and after a SUP session, although it's still difficult to make myself slow down enough to do it the way I should.

[SoCalSupper]

just discovered another cure-join the wife in the kitchen and offer to help during the Kahlua cake making!-sample batter often....

[whit]

Sounds like an excellent home remedy

[LaPerouseBay]

i have always wanted to OC-1, but everything i hear is that the combination of seated-bending and even light twisting side to side leads to lumbar hell!-dont know for sure but thats what i have heard

Yes, it looks like torture.  I thought so too, until I tried it.  
Get on one.  It's easier than it appears.

So much great info in this thread.  

No discussion of lumbar pain is complete without mention of the mighty psoas.  It's a huge muscle, nearly as large as your entire forearm.      



Here again is the amazing Dara, demonstrating one way to stretch it.  I'm sold on this 'resistance stretching'  It seems very logical to me.  


    

[SoCalSupper]

intriguing...

is it Soreass or Psoass?

[pdxmike]

intriguing...

is it Soreass or Psoass?

Psoas.   The psoas muscle connects to yoas. 

If you hurt the psoas muscle, the next day yoas will be so. 

[SoCalSupper]

haha-good one Mike!

[pdxmike]

haha-good one Mike!

SoCal--If you do hurt your psoas, maybe Strand Leper will give you a ride in his van with the extra lumbar support. 

It could be a win-win situation--you get a ride, and he gets someone who can flip people off for him in traffic. 

[whit]

Awesome diagram and and video.  I've been doing TRX resistance training at the rock climbing gym, it seems to keep me fairly fit, along with the yoga.  I live two hours from VA Beach and a little bit over 3 hours to the Outer Banks of NC.  It's been an unusually cold & windy winter.  I wish I could do more of the Stand up Paddle Surfing.

[SEA]

I got the healthy back DVD about a year ago from TRX and this is one of the exercises on it. The difference between this guys way and TRX is  he uses  motion to enable your body to stretch , as opposed to stationary and motion is always better. Listen to the video he explains why. Very interesting.

 I have been doing this for my lower back and HUGE difference !!!

[SoCalSupper]

Really cool SEA!
Gonna use some of these for my back!-thanks for posting!

[headmount]

I don't know how I missed this thread.  One of the best I've seen on this forum.  Everything everyone added and Distressed discovered is very solid stuff.  Tight hamstrings are the demise for many males, not just surfers but without the stretch, by the time you're 45, you might be sleeping under Distressed's Christmas tree.  I had my share as well but since 04 when I started stand-up downwinders .... zero.  It's worth doing just for that!