Sciatica is one of our oldest known pain problems — the known history of treatments for sciatica goes back as far as the 5th century BC, with a wide (and often unsuccessful) variety of treatments tried. It continues to be a common problem today: studies indicate that up to 43% of people experience sciatic pain at some point in their lives. And a 2008 analysis of sciatic studies concluded that sciatic pain is more persistent, more severe and consumes more health resources than low back pain does!

‘Sciatica’ actually describes a pain pattern that can have a number of distinct causes, all of which involve in some way the sciatic nerve (hence the name). The sciatic nerve is the longest in the body, and can be affected in the area of the low back and sacrum (called axial sciatica), or in the area of the buttock (involving the piriformis and other muscles) and on down through the back of the leg, through the calf and even to the toes — all of these forms known as appendicular sciatica.

It is important to know the signs of the different causes of sciatic pain, since the suggested remedies sometimes do not fit the cause! This course will cover some simple tests for recognizing possible causes of sciatic pain symptoms, and the appropriate response. 

The main focus will be on the piriformis, recognizing that even in this case, the traditional approach of piriformis stretches may not always be effective, since the problem may be a weak (rather than ‘tight’) piriformis. We’ll approach the piriformis with the philosophy, ‘strengthen before you lengthen.’

Join yoga therapist Doug Keller for a course on Yoga for Sciatica and Piriformis Syndrome. In this course, Doug will discuss some of the common causes of sciatica and introduce the many yoga tools we can use to restore back health and/or prevent or relieve the condition.

What You Will Learn:

• The anatomy of the sciatic nerves and the problem of the nerve getting ‘tethered’ to the fascia
• Why there are so many varied symptoms of sciatica, with tests for determining the likely cause (or causes) of the sciatic pain pattern you’re experiencing
• How a mindful, targeted yoga practice can help you overcome the sciatic pain
• The best yoga poses to use to release tight muscles that often are a factor in sciatic pain
• Key actions to do in yoga poses to get the best results
• Do’s and don’ts for practicing yoga for sciatica relief and the key poses to avoid as well as important cautions
• Approaches to long-term yoga practice for sciatica prevention