Sciatica pain is not something anyone wants to have to face. It is a pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve and can leave your legs, rear end, and lower back seriously uncomfortable, to say the least.
Sciatica itself usually only affects one side of the body but in some cases can affect both. The pain associated with it can be so severe that it makes everyday tasks almost impossible for those facing it. That having been said if you’re dealing with a milder form of sciatica you might be able to reduce your pain by stretching/working out that area with a tennis ball. I know this might sound weird but a lot of people say it works quite well.
In regards to tennis ball therapy Minnesota Spine Institute wrote as follows on their website:
When using a tennis ball, you are incorporating the principles of massage, acupressure, and reflexology which help to relieve sore muscles in a DIY approach. While lying or sitting on a ball and allowing gravity to exert pressure, the tennis ball presses and treats trigger points in the piriformis muscle. This reduces the muscle tension and improves mobility and blood circulation. The pain you may feel from the tennis ball is equivalent to the pain you would feel if a masseuse was working on a tight knot.
Using more than one tennis ball across your back will spread the pressure and work more areas at once with less pain. Taping two tennis balls together can create a groove where the spine sits and works muscles on each side of the spine. Rolling the ball across these areas for a short time will relax the knot. Focusing on one area, such as the lower back, is fine. But working several areas (middle and upper back too) and releasing pressure will provide the best results.
However, there are some limitations when it comes to tennis ball therapy and being aware of those is important. That for one being that if there is something very serious going on you shouldn’t be relying on just a tennis ball for relief. Being aware of the bigger issue and getting things checked out properly is important.
Considering how easy it is to get a tennis ball and give this a go, the different ways this kind of ball can be used to help with this kind of pain can really come in handy. Considering most of us have back pain on some level as adults this can be a great way to relieve some of the tension you’re feeling and reduce the issues your muscles are facing. Not only is it very easy, it’s also something you can do seemingly anywhere.
To learn how to use a tennis ball to help with your back pain or sciatica issues specifically please check out the videos below. While it might look like you’re just rolling a ball around under your back, there is more to it than that and you need to make sure you’re putting it in the right places so that the right muscles are being targeted properly. Will you be giving this a go?
Sources:
https://minnesotaspineinstitute.com/treatments/use-tennis-ball-relieve-back-pain/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sciatica/symptoms-causes/syc-20377435