Sciatica is a pain in the ass

In one of my many bathroom trips during the night yesterday (Oh the joy of pregnancy!), I felt a shooting pain of sciatica on the right side of my sacrum shooting down my leg .... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I thought! I really hoped I was going to avoid the dreaded sciatica that plagues so many expectant mothers. Yesterday I actually felt an odd pain in my left foot so I don't know if it's related. However, now I'm feeling both.

I looked up sciatica in the book You can Heal your Life by Louise L. Hay, which lists a variety of ailments, what is causing them and how to treat them with affirmations. Probable cause of sciatica is "being hypocritical. Fear of money and of the future." Whoa - that's crazy! With my husband's recent job loss, I'm sure fear of money and the future is creeping into my subconscious, although I know we'll be perfectly fine. My husband asked me what the "hypocritical" part is about. The only thing I could come up with is that I'm being hypocritical telling him to be positive and apparently my sciatica is telling me I'm not!

Anyhow, the books' recommended affirmations for sciatica:

"I move into my greater good. My good is everywhere, and I am secure and safe."

This morning I pulled out a Yoga Journal magazine workout for sciatica I clipped called "Easy rider" from Aug. 2006. The original article includes a a great workout for sciatica relief. I did it this morning, but the postures don't seem to be included in the online version. Doing it did seem to help a bit. Guess I'll just need to keep doing it for a while.

"Coping with Sciatica" had more suggestions for poses that can alleviate sciatica, and I also discovered another YJ practice for sciatica. However I'm not sure if all the postures are appropriate for pregnant women, such as the twists.

Besides yoga, herbs like St. John's wort may be helpful. Tumeric may be as well for "its anti-inflammatory effects are most likely due to its active ingredient, curcumin, which gives turmeric its yellow color and may be as effective as cortisone in fighting acute inflammation" according to "Sciatica Strategies" article on YJ.

If you have other suggestions for dealing with sciatica, please let me know. My ass will thank you! ;)