Back Care - Sciatica

Bridge Asana

Here's an interesting article related to yoga - my passion - I feel compelled to share with you.
A 2005 article in the journal Pain reported that people with chronic back pain who practiced Iyengar yoga (my style of yoga) for 16 weeks saw pain reduced by 64% and disability by 77%.  Although yoga's effects on sciatica are less clear, gentle forms may be beneficial.  By strengthening muscles and improving flexibility, a yoga practice can help sciatica sufferers "move and function better so they don't fall into a posture that aggravates the sciatica" says James W. Carson, PHD, a psychologist at the Comprehensive Pain Center at Oregon Health & Science University.    And - "when the piriformis muscle (beneath the glutes) gets tight, it pinches the sciatic nerve."   This from the July issue of Prevention magazine.  Our practice of the Pigeon pose works directly on flexibility of the piriformis.
More and more we see research supporting what yoga practitioners know from experience.  The photo is bridge pose - I'll have to get one of the pigeon, don't see one in my collection.  The bridge also is a super move for developing flexibility of the spine plus other numerous benefits - as with most yoga poses (asanas).