Posture expert Esther Gokhale traveled around the world, studying cultures where there is almost zero incidence of lower back pain and sciatica.  Why, for instance, does lower back pain affect 80% of the U.S. population, but only 5% of the population in parts of Africa?

While not many Africans are getting stuck in rush-hour traffic, flying in airplanes, or sitting at a desk all day, the answer may be more obvious:
Africans tend to have better posture than Americans.

"The less industrial a country, the more more likely your are to find people with correct posture and movement." says Gokhale.

Gokhale claims that all babies naturally use good posture, but in most industrial societies, we tend to develop bad habits.

Learning more about how to hold and move your body takes "re-learning" what is already genetically imprinted in our genes...which makes it a fairly easy thing to do, IF...and it's a big "if"...you have a good teacher.

A simple, first step is to focus on simple changes, such as sitting with your tail bone out, as opposed to tucking the pelvis in.

Then move on to specific sciatica exercises to address your condition.

Some of those basic movements can be found here.

Look for Gokhale's book, Eight Steps to a Pain Free Back, which is supposed to be in bookstores by spring of 2008.

Source:  Mountain View Voice

I see sciatica waiting to happen everywhere I look.

Americans have terrible posture.  Turns out, your aunt Betty was right when she told you stand up straight.  She wasn't just nagging you...she was looking out for your future.

Bad posture stresses your back, creating extra strain on your discs.  The lumbar curve - the lower curve in your back - should be there, always.

Most people don't sit with a lumbar curve because it takes effort.  Abdominal muscles, lower back muscles, and hip flexors all work in unison to keep a lumbar curve in place.

Once a severe sciatica episode comes on, it's almost impossible to sit upright at all for any length of time.  Only rest and basic exercises can really help in a full-fledged flare-up. 

But most people who have been dealing with sciatica for any length of time know that there are inevitable warning signs...a little tightness, or perhaps a twinge of pain running down the sciatica nerve.

When that happens TAKE HEED and precautionary measures. 

One of those measures should be reviewing the fundamentals of back health:  hydration, rest, nutrition, exercise, and posture.

Fundamental to posture is keeping a strong lumbar curve.

Remember the techniques for proper walking, sleeping, and above all, sitting.

If you don't know the proper, back-healthy techniques for these positions, learn them.

Life's too short to live with debilitating sciatica.