Get Rid of Sciatic Pain For Good!

In hopes of controlling the pain from my sciatic problem, I decided to check out this DVD in spite of its mixed reviews.Kathi Casey's three exercises (combined with deep breathing to bring oxygen to the area of concern) are designed to stretch the piriformis muscle that goes across the butt (as well as other muscles). When that muscle gets tense or tight, it puts pressure on the sciatic nerve and causes pain. In some cases of sciatica, the pain is relieved or avoided by the stretching of this muscle. She advocates doing the exercise program daily, whether a sciatic problem is active or not.One Amazon reviewer focused on how impossible it is for the average person to do these exercises. After reviewing the DVD, I find that assessment very puzzling. First of all, Casey makes it clear that you do not need to do all three exercises, but just one or two of them. Secondly, she shows variations of the first two in order to accommodate different fitness levels. I am 65 years old, do not have a flexible body, and have not done a regular yoga routine in 35 years. I have no trouble doing at least "very modified" versions of her first two exercises (not always bending as far forward as she does, etc.), and doing her third exercise sufficiently. If someone is "heavy-set" and/or has a REALLY inflexible body, maybe they can't do any of these exercises (as modified), but I have to imagine that most people can do at least one or two of them (as modified).Kathi Casey, who demonstrates the exercises, is not a super-model and the DVD, while "adequate," is not some hi-tech production filmed on the shores of Hawaii. WHO CARES? The film quality is reasonable, the purpose behind the exercises is well explained, and the exercises are sufficiently demonstrated, with very good instructions. And if they work....well, they work. That is what is important to me.I just got the DVD from Amazon and watched a couple of times, while doing the exercises. Frankly, my sciatic problem is caused by a herniated disc, so I am not sure how much it will be helped by stretching the piriformis muscle. For people whose sciatic problem is caused by a tight piriformis muscle (piriformis syndrome), this DVD would progbably be more helpful. I would guess that stretching the piriformis muscle, and other muscles the exercises relate to, would be helpful "to some degree" for anyone that has sciatica. (Another DVD that would probably be more helpful for bulging or herniated disc and sciatica [among other back problems] is "Yoga Therapy for Back Pain" with Emily Kligerman. Some of Kligerman's poses are similar to stretches given to me by my chiropractor & my osteopathic physician, just with more movement and less time "holding" the position.)

This DVD is titled "Get Rid of Sciatic Pain for Good". I am in a chiropractor 3x a week. I put in this DVD hoping and praying for some kind of help. No. My L5 is out...S1 giving me issues...all a mess. I don't know if my sciatica is different from everyone else's, but I couldn't do the first thing...I can't sit straight with my legs in front of me. So I am determining this is more of an intermediate form of sciatic pain work....not beginner. If you are like me and can't put on shoes and socks, take 20 min - an hour to fight to get out of bed, and spend most of your day trying to find a way to remove gravity from your life, this isn't for you. I'll hang onto it and use it later as more of a preventative maintenance thing.

Get past the aweful video and realize that it does help. You need to watch this with grain of salt to get past Kathy and her 80s hair and amateur filming skills. However, she shows you 3 yoga poses, in 30 minutes (which I could show you in 3 minutes). I've been doing these poses and it has worked very well to ease my sciatic pain. It's such an elusive, yet debilitating pain, and these stretches hit exactly in the right spot. When I start to feel it come back, I start doing these stretches once or twice a day it goes away. But you only need to watch it once, then you can do the stretches yourself and not have to suffer through the video again. I'd give it one star for dear kathy and her nauseous presentation, but 5 stars for the efficacy of the video content.

I got this out of desperation, due to the constant pain on my buttocks and numbing, burning, shooting pain down my leg, heel and sole of my right leg, Sometimes the pain would also go up my back, almost wrapping itself along my rib-cage. I also got prime video--Tools for Sciatica Relief.Before going to bed I decided to follow her and do the 3 stretches. As I was doing the last 2 stretches, which I had done before with other barre and yoga exercises, I noticed a release. I don't know if it's because she was walking me though them, emphasizing to be gentle and giving me different variations on being careful and not to overdo myself--we don't want to irritate that which is already irritated.As I was doing the last 2 stretches, I began to feel a release on the front part of my gate/hips.Last night was the first night I was able to sleep without that constant pain, that constant burning shooting all throughout my right leg and foot.I had to write this review, even though it's only been one day. As she states, you have to do these 3 stretches for the rest of your life, they are just 3 stretches. 2 years I lived with this pain, I can certainly continue to do these 3 stretches for the rest of my life. I will do them in the morning and at night.I'm not flexible enough to do these stretches, but she does give you alternatives. I don't know why some people are giving her bad reviews when she gives you modified, or alternative stretches to do.Stretches:Pigeon stretch,cross over leg stretch,hamstring stretch.I also did the figure four stretch, sitting on a chair and a butterfly stretch.You can also go to: spine-heath dot com and click on sciatic piriformis. They also have about the same videos.