Calf Soreness Can Result From Sciatica
Sciatica pain can be felt anywhere from the lower back to the calves, creating an annoying soreness. The sciatic nerve, the longest in the body, begins in the lower back and threads down the back of each leg right to the toes of each foot. When this nerve is irritated through injury or illness, the pain can radiate over a wide area of the body. Patients with this condition may not always associate calf soreness and sciatica, but there is a definite connection.
Many Types of Sciatica Pain
Since the affected nerve is so large, and travels over a good portion of the body, it makes sense that a person may experience the pain of sciatica in different ways. Most patients report the traditional sharp pain that starts in the lower back and includes the entire leg. Numbness and tingling of the feet may also be noticed. However, calf soreness may not immediately be attributed to sciatica, which can delay the treatment. Sometimes people associate calf soreness to excessive walking or uncomfortable shoes, but sciatica should be considered as a possible cause.
Ways to Ease Calf Soreness
If the soreness in your calves is a result of sciatica, there are many ways to get relief. For immediate pain relief, ibuprofen or aspirin can help, but many sciatica pain sufferers seek a more permanent solution. Yoga exercises have been shown to slowly strengthen key muscles and therefore bring about more of a cure for sciatica pain. However, this will not happen with a few yoga sessions, and a lot depends on the severity of the sciatica condition. But with regular practice, yoga can reduce both the pain and the number of flare-ups. For calf soreness, ask your yoga instructor about specific postures and movements that will relieve sciatica pain and bring about a level of healing. Generally, this will be accomplished in three steps. The first step is to reduce the pain by relaxation techniques and removing the pressure from the sciatic nerve. Next, comes proper muscle alignment and strengthening exercises. These last two steps may take a long time to accomplish. Properly aligning the pelvis and spine may take up to six months or a year. And it will be after this step that muscle strengthening can begin. But don't be discouraged; using yoga to ease sciatica pain and the soreness of calf muscles is more of a solution than merely treating the pain with medicine. Additionally, yoga will bring an overall health benefit to your entire body, making this a terrific investment of time.
