Sciatic nerves are really large.

They are about the thickness of your index finger and run from the lower part of your spine through the bony hip area. The nerves pass through thick muscles in your buttocks, one on each side.

The gluteal muscles are the powerful muscles in the back of your hip (your buttocks). One of those muscles–a deeper one–is the piriformis. The piriformis muscle can be a cause of the nervy pain in your hip and/or leg. When it is, it is often called “pseudo-sciatica.” (Pseudo means false.)

If the nerve is being compressed by the spinal bones, it is true sciatica. Nerves don’t like pressure regardless of whether it’s from bones or muscles. They like to be able to move freely, without pressure.   When nerves are pressed on they cause symptoms–pain or nervy sensations.

As is usual with most physical pain, muscles are often at the root of sciatica.  Your piriformis muscle can cause pressure on the nerve if the nerve passes deep to it (behind.) A few unfortunate folks have a variation in their anatomy that allows the nerve to pass directly through a “split” piriformis muscle. They tend to have a lot of pain but fortunately it’s not a common situation.

When the problem is caused by actual pressure from a spinal bone, you have to wonder why. Sometimes it could be a bone chip–a piece of bone which broke or was actually pulled off by tight muscles. In that case, surgery may be the only option to remove the pressure from the nerve. Fortunately, this is not a common problem, either.

When your muscles get “out of balance”–some stronger or weaker than others–you are setting the stage for pain. When you were a liitle child, your muscles were “balanced.” You were always using ALL of your muscles and that’s why they were balanced.

Over time, most of us stop using all of our muscles and begin using only sixty or so on a regular basis. That’s why when you do work that you don’t usually do–like raking perhaps–you say, “I discovered muscles I didn’t even know I had.” They were always there; you just had stopped using them.

If you compare your posture with the perfect posture of most little children, you can start to imagine why you have pain. Look at that little head held right over his body. Where is your head?

Look at that little spine with it’s perfect curves in the lower back behind the waist and in the neck. How are your curves in comparison? Too much? Too little?

If you have lost or over-exaggerated (sway back) your lower back curve, there’s a good chance that your muscles are causing pressure on your sciatic nerve at some place along the way. It could be the muscles near your waist or in your gluteal region.

The good news is that bodies heal all the time.

If you can get to the root of your pain and get rid of the CAUSE of it, you’ll have a good shot at becoming pain-free. Treating only the symptom is like putting a bandaid on a cut or taking an aspirin for a headache. It doesn’t change the cause of the cut or the cause of the headache. You want to get to the root.

Do you know why less back surgery is done now than used to be done?

Because so often the surgery didn’t address the CAUSE. It only was chasing a symptom–the pain–and after the patient healed from the surgery, the pain was still there.

You can discover more about sciatica at Back Pain Freedom.com (<– click here.)  There are lots of cool pictures so you can see exactly how your body works, how big your sciatic nerve is, the muscles around it, and learn more about those muscle imbalances I talked about earlier.

You have a smart body. It wants to be well. It just needs a little help from you right now to get rid of your sciatic pain.

At the same time, the muscles in your back get overstretched and so they complain.  (They hate being stretched too far!)  They give you pain to call your attention to the fact that something is wrong.

Collapsed posture also causes lower back pain, headaches and migraines, constipation and lots and lots of other problems.  It’s a primary cause of “old age.”

You had wonderful posture when you were very young and with a bit of help from you, you can have it again.

Watch this whole video through to the end before you try this movement.  At the end, the teacher will demonstrate how to come out of the movement.

You can use a towel rolled into a tube and folded towels for supports for your head.  If you need to adjust the size of your “tube” it’s easy to just unroll the towel a bit.

The following request for help is very specific about the location of the pain: the bottom half of the shoulder blade and the outer side of the shoulder blade near the armpit.  Using a movement with the arm in front of the body makes it worse.

Here is the email:

“I really need your help for my shoulder problems from which I am suffering from past many years.

I am getting pain on my right shoulder, on the lower half of the scapula muscle(Teres minor and major area) of my shoulder. The pain exists at approximate all the time but increases if I repeatedly do an activity (A simple activity like holding a book will aggravate the pain). I can always feel their is a difference between my right shoulder and left shoulder because of the pain.

I have shown to many doctors and had done many tests but they could not come out with any conclusive results. Their advice was just to strengthen my shoulder muscles and to do some physical activity.

Whats the best way to strengthen my shoulder. Will joining gym will be a good option or doing Aerobics .

Please suggest if something better can be done.

Thanks,”

Here is my response:

Based on the information you gave me, here is my best thought.  You did not say you are right handed, but I bet you may be.  This area often becomes aggravated on the side of the dominant hand.

Thank you for your kind words about my website.  I appreciate the opportunity to be helpful to people.

Here’s what I suspect:  (a)  The muscles in the area you have pain can get “tight” because they are being overstretched (your arm is not next to your body, rather it is stretching forward to reach) OR (b) they can get tight because you hold your elbow slightly BEHIND you.

The solution for (a) involves:

• strengthening your back and there are simple directions at http://SimpleStrengthening.com
• stretching the muscles in your chest and the front of your arm
• bringing your arm into neutral when you work rather than reaching forward, and
• massaging the painful area and the area that surrounds it.

Massage and changing the position of your arm will also help (b).

So, what kind of massage will help?

In this case, the muscles that are involved are usually where the pain is so that is the area to treat.  You can use ice massage or ice packs, you can go to a professional massage therapist, or you can ask a friend or family member to “pinch” that area.

As the tissues have become tight, contracted, or bound together, pinching is an easy way to release them and get the circulation flowing again.  Yes, it will hurt a bit.  In fact, if it isn’t uncomfortable your helper isn’t pinching enough.

The idea is not just to pinch the skin but to grab as much of the muscle and tissue as possible and pinch or compress it for several seconds up to 30 seconds.  If they can do this to the whole area, that would be ideal.  Do several pinches.  Later, after perhaps 10 minutes or so, you will notice that the original pain has diminished or is completely gone.

You may also press into the area of the teres (armpit near shoulder blade) and yes, it will also be tender.  Tender or uncomfortable means it is tight and needs to be released.  You may be able to do this yourself or you may be able to accomplish it by laying on a tennis ball and using that as a tool to press against your lateral scapula (outside of your shoulder blade).  Again, ice massage is an option.

There is a lot of information about how to find a massage therapist who can specifically help you at http://CarpalTunnelPainRelief.com Just scroll through the Categories to Massage.  Look around at the other Categories, too, if you wish.

If you look at the Self Help Category, you will find more info that will be helpful even though you don’t have carpal tunnel syndrome.  Why?  Because all parts of our body are attached to every other part!

Here is one article that I think will help:

http://www.carpaltunnelpainreliefnow.com/2009/05/action-steps-to-reduce-relieve-carpal-tunnel-pain.html

This article covers a lot of what you need to get rid of the pain in your shoulder.

Please write again if you need more detail or want to add any additional comments or symptoms about your shoulder pain.

Best wishes to you for speedy pain relief,

Kathryn Merrow
The Pain Relief Coach

I will always believe that massage is the best thing to help muscles relax but stretching is the next best.  So, here’s something that’ll help you get “unstuck” and relieve your stiff back.

Are you familiar with the stretches called “cat” and “dog?”  I’ve also heard them called “camel” and other variations.  Sometimes they are done on all fours, on the floor, but I’m going to share a seated version with you.  If you are so stiff that it’s hard to get on the floor, you will appreciate this version.

These are good movements because they get your spine moving from front to back and your ribs moving.  These movements warm the muscles of your back and whole torso, or trunk.  They get your circulation going and can help to strengthen your back.

Here is the seated version:

• Move to the the front edge of a firm, solid chair or seat.
• Sit with your feet flat on the floor, one in front of each hip, toes pointing straight ahead.
• Point your thumbs forward and rest your hands at the side of your chair, hanging your hands near your hips.
• Lift your chest.
• Slowly squeeze your shoulder blades together while you “stick your butt out” and lift your chin toward the ceiling.  This movement should make your back be a “C.”
• Move slowly and thoughtfully.
• Pause there for a second and then start to reverse the move.
• Allow your chin to tuck toward your chest and your back to round outward (in the opposite direction of where you were.)
• Hold in your stomach while you move forward, too.
• You can continue doing these “C’s” and “reverse C’s” in a sequence, one after the other.
• Always pay attention to your body and move slowly and thoughtfully.

Please note: If either move causes real pain in your back, just  flex only to that point.  With practice, it will become easier and you will gain more movement.

There are many ways for your back to round outward.  You might notice that you can cause your upper back to curve, near your shoulder blade.  You can also curve the middle of your back.  Your lower back can also curve outward.  What does this mean?

Your spinal bones give you flexibility.  That’s how they were designed. When you move, move as many different ways as you can.  Try to get as many different joints and muscles moving as you can.

These 2 moves flex your spinal bones and will help strengthen your whole upper body, too.

We are all supposed to be able to move like this.  You could when you were little.  With some help from you, your body can become more flexible again.  Doing these movements thoughtfully will help you become more comfortable and function better and will help relieve the stiffness in your back.

Why do some of us grow old so quickly and other stay youthful?

Here are 3 reasons:

1.  Attitude.  Optimists may not always have the most realistic outlook, but they live longer, healthier lives than pessimists and enjoy living more.  Attitude can be learned and unlearned.  A healthy attitude includes gratitude and happiness.

2. Nutrition.  People who give their bodies all the nutrients it needs are much more likely to be healthy and feel better longer.  This gets harder and harder as more of our “food” comes from factories rather than farms and gardens, but it CAN be done.  The best place to buy your groceries is in the produce section, and if possible, the best ones to buy are organic.  Try to eat a lot of different colored foods (and Froot Loops don’t count.)

3.  Posture.  When you lose the fight to gravity, and gravity is winning, your heavy head moves in front of your body.  Then, gravity can pull you forward even more!  Your posture can be corrected, at least enough to relieve some of your pain.  Posture is a BIG key in aging.  When you collapse forward, your organs gets squashed.  How can your heart function its’ best when it is being compressed?  How can your intestines and stomach do their best job?  This is a common cause of constipation.   You can overcome poor posture by stretching the muscles in the front of your body and strengthening the muscles in the back.

George Burns, the comedian, said:  “It’s okay to get older, as long as you don’t get old.”  I’m sticking with George!

1. It relaxes the muscles around your chest, ribs, shoulders and neck.  These are the same muscles that get tight and cause headache symptoms.
2. Yoga helps reduce your stress.  When you’re feeling all stressed, your muscles “clamp down” on nerves that go to your head.
3. It helps strengthen the muscles of your backside, and makes you long and strong; it creates muscular balance.  A strong back and a long, strong body helps you have good posture.  Good posture, with your head over your body instead of out in front, reduces headaches.
4. Yoga gets your circulation moving and that helps move the metabolic (body) wastes out of your body.  It reduces swelling which can also be a cause for head pain.
5. It helps you become more “in tune” with your body.  When your muscles start to complain or your head starts to hurt, you will be able to figure out the cause and correct it.
6. Yoga can help reduce your blood pressure, but if you are having high blood pressure headaches, you’d better get to a doctor immediately!

Yoga is a full-body stretching and strengthening movement program with a lot of benefits.

If you take a class, always remember:  It’s your body.  If a move doesn’t feel appropriate to you, or feels like it will make your head hurt or your headache feel worse, DON’T DO IT.  Instead, practice a different movement (pose) or breathing.

So, yoga helps take the pressure off the muscles around your head and neck, and helps you relax, and reduces stress, and improves your breathing (shallow breathing could also be a cause of your headaches by not giving you enough oxygen.)

That’s how yoga can help you get rid of your headaches.

People with poor posture look like they are leaning or collapsing forward.  Often their head is way forward in front of their body (“forward head posture.”)  The curve in their neck is either too much or too flat, and so is the curve behind their waist. Their shoulders round forward.

Poor posture impacts a LOT of your body!  Almost every part of your body is affected by collapsed posture.

Here are several things you can check so you will know whether your posture is good or not-so-good.

1.  Stand up and hold your arms at your sides in their usual position.  Look down.  If your thumbs are pointing to each other, your shoulders are rounded forward.  Your chest muscles are tight and shortened.  They are pulling your shoulders forward.  But, if your thumbs point straight ahead, your shoulders aren’t rounded forward.

2.  Are you constantly straightening up and constantly collapsing forward again? That’s a clue that the muscles in the front of your body are short and pulling your forward.

3.  Are your feet flat or do you have nice arches?  Flat feet will cause your posture to collapse because flat arches move your weight forward.

4.  Does the front of your neckline choke you or always slide backward?

5.  Do you get a lot of headaches, pain in your neck or back?  Those are symptoms caused by poor posture.

If you discover that your posture isn’t so good, there’s a lot you can do.  There are articles at Simple Strengthening that will help you get straight and strong.

And, I have good news for you!

Bodies want to be well and you can correct your posture.  When your posture is better, you will have less pain in your head, back, arms…all over!

Oh Boy!  It surely can!  In fact, it does.

Poor, or collapsed, posture can cause pain in your head, neck, feet, legs, hips, upper and lower back. Why?  Because being out of muscular “balance” means that you are using muscles to do the job of bones.

With poor posture, your muscles are trying to hold you upright, but that’s the job of your bones. Muscles are for moving.  Bones are for supporting.

All of your muscles attach to bones.  When a muscle is overworked or overstretched because of poor posture, it causes pain.

Poor posture can even cause your organs–heart, lungs, intestines, stomach–to have difficulty functioning.  Why?  Because you are collapsing forward.  As you bend forward, all of your organs are compressed, or squashed.  It is much harder for your organs to do their best job when they are squashed.

What can you to to correct your posture?

One important thing is to get arch supports (orthotics) for your shoes if your feet are “flat.”

How can you tell if your arches are flat?

Stand up with your weight the same on both feet for 5 minutes.  Then assess:  Do you feel that most of the pressure on your feet is in your toes?  You need arch supports.  Get a pair with a “real” arch, something that will truly support you.

Feet are supposed to have arches.  They are the foundation of your skeleton.

Just like a building, we need a solid foundation.  If our foundation flattens, or collapses, the integrity of our building–our body–is compromised.  We get into trouble, and the trouble starts with poor, or collapsed posture.

A good pair of arch supports may feel as though you have a boulder under your foot.

Try to get a pair that actually fits to the shape or your foot.  You want them to put your feet into the arched position they used to have.  Take time to adjust to them.  Start with just an hour a day, then 2 hours.  Work your way up to wearing them all day.

Massage your feet by pressing the sole of your feet against a tennis ball, or golf ball, and rolling it back and forth, width-wise and length-wise.  Do this for 5 minutes for each foot.  After you do the first foot, you will have one happy foot.  You’ll have to do your other foot so it will be happy, too.  This helps relax your muscles and tendons and make it easier to adjust to your new arch supports.

There is more to do to correct your posture and get you back to feeling and functioning well, but arch supports are a good place to start.