Aa
pain when sitting criss cross
Its been going on for a couple weeks now but when i sit down in the criss cross position theirs a pain that shoots from my left side of my thigh starting from my butt all the way to my ankle. I thought this would go away but it hasn't i would appreciate any advise thank you. By the way im only 19 years of age.
It sounds like sciatica. Did you have any kind of injury? Ever get pain from riding a bicycle? I think mine is from periformis syndrome, but that's always a guess because it's virtually impossible to correctly diagnose -- it's more a process of elimination. Whatever caused it, go on YouTube and look for exercises to stretch the periformis. Even if you don't have that problem the exercises should help loosen it up. Hot baths in Epsom Salts helped me. Icing helps if it results from some activity you're doing. It could also be coming from the hip or the lower back. Again, look to what you've done lately and see if you can remember something you did that caused pain in those areas.
2 Comments
Remember: listen to your body. If anything hurts, stop or reduce the intensity immediately.
The Complete Back Stretch
While you’re lying on your back, perform this stretch. It will relax your entire back and is very effective at alleviating sciatica pain.
How to Do It:
Bring both your knees to your chest
Wrap your arms around your legs, at the knees, and relax your lower back
Do not try to “crack” your spine this is just for relaxing your back
Lower Back Stretch
This exercise stretches and relaxes your lower and middle back specifically. Remember to be gentle while stretching your back.
How to Do It:
From your flat back position, bend one knee to a 90 degree angle while keeping your foot on the floor
Allow your knee to “fall” gently to the opposite side of your body, letting your hips twist
Rest your foot on the floor for support and try to keep your back and hips flat on the floor
Repeat on both sides for 10-20 seconds
Pretzel Stretch
This stretch is excellent for releasing tension in your buttocks and pelvic floor.
How to Do It:
From your flat back, bend both knees while keeping your feet on the floor
Bring the right ankle atop the left knee
Pull your left thigh back toward your body slowly
Single Leg Stretch & Lift
A common exercise in Pilates practices, the single leg stretch and lift will strengthen your core and hip flexors while stretching the buttocks and hips.
How to Do It:
From your flat back, lift one leg to a 90 degree angle, supporting your thigh with both hands
Keep your foot parallel with the floor
Then, lift your other leg a few inches off the ground, your foot at 90 degrees
Repeat the lift 12 to 15 times, then switch
The Complete Back Stretch
While you’re lying on your back, perform this stretch. It will relax your entire back and is very effective at alleviating sciatica pain.
How to Do It:
Bring both your knees to your chest
Wrap your arms around your legs, at the knees, and relax your lower back
Do not try to “crack” your spine this is just for relaxing your back
Lower Back Stretch
This exercise stretches and relaxes your lower and middle back specifically. Remember to be gentle while stretching your back.
How to Do It:
From your flat back position, bend one knee to a 90 degree angle while keeping your foot on the floor
Allow your knee to “fall” gently to the opposite side of your body, letting your hips twist
Rest your foot on the floor for support and try to keep your back and hips flat on the floor
Repeat on both sides for 10-20 seconds
Pretzel Stretch
This stretch is excellent for releasing tension in your buttocks and pelvic floor.
How to Do It:
From your flat back, bend both knees while keeping your feet on the floor
Bring the right ankle atop the left knee
Pull your left thigh back toward your body slowly
Single Leg Stretch & Lift
A common exercise in Pilates practices, the single leg stretch and lift will strengthen your core and hip flexors while stretching the buttocks and hips.
How to Do It:
From your flat back, lift one leg to a 90 degree angle, supporting your thigh with both hands
Keep your foot parallel with the floor
Then, lift your other leg a few inches off the ground, your foot at 90 degrees
Repeat the lift 12 to 15 times, then switch
I will only say that some physical therapists don't like some of these types of exercises -- they prefer ones that don't require bending from the waist, as most of these do. They can be helpful, but in my experience don't do anything about sciatica, and sciatica doesn't always or even usually originate from the lower back. That's especially true for a 19 year old. I think these were great stretches for me before my back got really bad, but when it did I was told to stop most of these and do completely different kinds of things. My lower back has been a whole lot better since, so I started doing the ones listed again, but if I were injured I'd get a professional opinion before I did these particular stretches. If the sciatica weren't there I'd say these are great to prevent back problems, but at least for me, the periformis exercises have been much more useful. But Gym, you and I are old, and this person is very young and shouldn't be feeling this so it's just likely some activity caused it and the treatment, if any is needed, needs to be tailored to that. Now, this is just my experience dealing with this -- when my lower back was just a bit of a problem these were the stretches I was told to do, but when it got bad these were the ones I was told not to do.
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