Physical therapy for Gluteus Muscle and Sciatic Pain

My next step in this pain saga moved on to getting some physical therapy. About a week and half ago I saw Emily at Bethany Physical Therapy http://www.therapeuticassociates.com/Locations/clinic.aspx?id=25.
She is also a certified yoga teacher with experience in Iyengar and Anusura style. At my last visit this Thursday the following happened.

My left hip seemed to have rotated forward and right hip backwards and the muscles around it have strained/inflamed causing these shooting pains down my leg. She helped re-align with some posture adjustments and then the following exercises were recommended (and I reproduce with her permission)

1. Paraspinal Release with Left Obliques
a. Place both fo palms on a 3-4 inch block and place your feet directly in front of you.
b. Pull your shoulder blades down and ack and dig both of your heels into the floor as you bring your hip up and off the floor by pushing through your arms.
c. Once u lift up round your back by tucking your bottom up or in
d. Then side bend your trunk to the left so that you left hip comes up. Pelvis is turned to the right. Abdominal muscles are engaged
e. Maintain firm contact with your right arm and right leg so that you feel your right inner thigh
f. Hold the position for 4-5 deep breaths
g. Repeat 2 more time per day.

2. Standing Un-resisted Wall Reach
This is similar to an Utkanasana but with your bottom on the wall for support support, arms not raised but touching your knees and the back rounded as you take 4 deep breaths expanding you back as you inhale and then reaching forward on your knees and legs as your exhale, so you are eventually looking down on your knees.

She recommended hip opening type yoga exercises. So I was back to Nuvana's place on Friday evening for another Yoga Therapy session. And what an amazing change. Please come back for the next post along with a video.

Namaste!

Yoga Therapy - the gluteus muscle saga continues

It was back to yoga therapy yesterday evening with Nuvana as I continue my journey of pain. First we tried supported supta=padangagushthasana, dandasana on the stairs and half uttanasana on the wall. They were all very painful. We finally settled on supported chair twists that brought some immediate relief. Then two straps around a pillar, one below the waist and covering the painful area, one around the upper back for support, left (painful) leg straight and right leg bent, raised and pushing agains the pillar, hands on the pillar pushing back... 15 minutes of this action brought some badly needed relief. This position seems to bring the most relief. I went a second time with the same action. I will be practicing this all day today. Pain -- It does a body good!