| REFLEXOLOGY And so much more… |
Oran Aviv
Sciatica can be a very painful and debilitating condition, but luckily there may be a natural
way to overcome it. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in our body. It runs from the
lower back through the hip and along our leg to our heel. When the nerve is pinched it
causes pain. In most cases of sciatica this is caused by a herniated or slipped disc that
rubs against the nerve.
Sciatica can be felt as a mild leg cramp or can be excruciating pain radiating from the
back down the leg. The pain can come on suddenly or gradually get worse. Many people
don’t even realize they have sciatica. As a dancer I often felt a cramp on the outside of my
calve that lasted weeks or sometimes months. I thought I had overworked my leg muscles.
Only years later I realized that this calve pain was sciatica. Many women experience
sciatica for the first time during pregnancy.
Sciatica can also be agonizing. I once had an attack of sciatica that was so painful that I
fell to the floor in the kitchen. Being alone at home, it took me about 20 minutes to crawl
slowly to the sofa to get up. At that moment of pain and helplessness I thought to myself –
"if this is what it is like to be alive, I may prefer the alternative." Amazingly within 3
weeks, without medical intervention, I was mobile, pain free and even went hiking.
Now the difficulty with sciatica and backache in general, is that when we are in pain, it
causes us to contract our muscles. Contracted muscles, cause more pain, which in turn
causes our muscles to contract more. We end up in a vicious circle of pain and
contraction which just doesn't seem to end.
This is where Reflexology can be so important. Reflexology, by inducing deep
relaxation, can stop this cycle, even if only for a short time. Sometimes relaxing the body
can be the most important step to relieving sciatica - as illustrated in the following story:
Ronnie suffered from sciatica for 2 1/2 months. He was in constant pain, had difficulty
moving and was not able to sleep through the night without taking pain relievers. Ronnie
had visited numerous doctors, taken every possible drug (according to him), had been
hospitalized and was given an epidural. None of these relieved him of the sciatica.
Very doubtful, but figuring he had nothing to lose, Ronnie tried Reflexology. After the first
session, Ronnie reported that he had slept through the night for the first time in 2 1/2
months without the need of medication. Five hours after Ronnie's 4th Reflexology session,
he stood up and realized that he was pain free, the first time in 3 months! Ronnie has
continued to be pain free now for 2 months.
To quicken his healing process, along with Reflexology, Ronnie wore a magnetic back
belt after the 2nd session and was taught some simple exercises to contract sphincter
muscles.
So how did Reflexology help while so many other treatments didn't? Reflexology simply
allowed the body to relax so it could do what it knows best, heal itself. By working
specific reflex points in the foot, hand and/or ear that correspond to the spine and hip area,
Reflexologists are also able to relax and induce healing in those specific areas. That is
the magic of Reflexology!
To read Ronnie's story click here.
Self-help Reflexology for sciatica: click here
Oran Aviv, a senior Reflexologist since 1995, has been helping adults and children stay
healthy for over 15 years. Oran teaches basic Hand Reflexology workshops all across
the country, showing people how to literally, put their health in their own hands. To
have Oran teach your group, to arrange a Reflexology session or to receive Oran's
monthly newsletters - email her at oran@reflexandmore.com or click here.
Other Articles
Return to Home
way to overcome it. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in our body. It runs from the
lower back through the hip and along our leg to our heel. When the nerve is pinched it
causes pain. In most cases of sciatica this is caused by a herniated or slipped disc that
rubs against the nerve.
Sciatica can be felt as a mild leg cramp or can be excruciating pain radiating from the
back down the leg. The pain can come on suddenly or gradually get worse. Many people
don’t even realize they have sciatica. As a dancer I often felt a cramp on the outside of my
calve that lasted weeks or sometimes months. I thought I had overworked my leg muscles.
Only years later I realized that this calve pain was sciatica. Many women experience
sciatica for the first time during pregnancy.
Sciatica can also be agonizing. I once had an attack of sciatica that was so painful that I
fell to the floor in the kitchen. Being alone at home, it took me about 20 minutes to crawl
slowly to the sofa to get up. At that moment of pain and helplessness I thought to myself –
"if this is what it is like to be alive, I may prefer the alternative." Amazingly within 3
weeks, without medical intervention, I was mobile, pain free and even went hiking.
Now the difficulty with sciatica and backache in general, is that when we are in pain, it
causes us to contract our muscles. Contracted muscles, cause more pain, which in turn
causes our muscles to contract more. We end up in a vicious circle of pain and
contraction which just doesn't seem to end.
This is where Reflexology can be so important. Reflexology, by inducing deep
relaxation, can stop this cycle, even if only for a short time. Sometimes relaxing the body
can be the most important step to relieving sciatica - as illustrated in the following story:
Ronnie suffered from sciatica for 2 1/2 months. He was in constant pain, had difficulty
moving and was not able to sleep through the night without taking pain relievers. Ronnie
had visited numerous doctors, taken every possible drug (according to him), had been
hospitalized and was given an epidural. None of these relieved him of the sciatica.
Very doubtful, but figuring he had nothing to lose, Ronnie tried Reflexology. After the first
session, Ronnie reported that he had slept through the night for the first time in 2 1/2
months without the need of medication. Five hours after Ronnie's 4th Reflexology session,
he stood up and realized that he was pain free, the first time in 3 months! Ronnie has
continued to be pain free now for 2 months.
To quicken his healing process, along with Reflexology, Ronnie wore a magnetic back
belt after the 2nd session and was taught some simple exercises to contract sphincter
muscles.
So how did Reflexology help while so many other treatments didn't? Reflexology simply
allowed the body to relax so it could do what it knows best, heal itself. By working
specific reflex points in the foot, hand and/or ear that correspond to the spine and hip area,
Reflexologists are also able to relax and induce healing in those specific areas. That is
the magic of Reflexology!
To read Ronnie's story click here.
Self-help Reflexology for sciatica: click here
Oran Aviv, a senior Reflexologist since 1995, has been helping adults and children stay
healthy for over 15 years. Oran teaches basic Hand Reflexology workshops all across
the country, showing people how to literally, put their health in their own hands. To
have Oran teach your group, to arrange a Reflexology session or to receive Oran's
monthly newsletters - email her at oran@reflexandmore.com or click here.
Other Articles
Return to Home
| Reflexology for Backache - Sciatica By Oran Aviv |