Thursday, June 25, 2020

Massage and Sciatica

Most of you know what sciatica is and the pain in the butt it can be...literally.  Ok bad joke. Though you may know this condition what you may not know is the causes of sciatica. The culprits that cause this annoying and painful condition are the following primary ailments:

  • bulging discs
  • joint inflammation
  • stenosis
  • sacral iliac joint dysfunction
  • piriformis tightness
No matter what the cause, it is treatable by massage, modern medicine and/ or physical therapy.  The treatment is geared toward the primary ailment.  

If you have a bulging disc your main treatment should be to correct the disc dysfunction. Once the disc pressure on the nerve is relieved then your sciatic pain will diminish. Massage to normalize the affected and surrounding musculature will be more effective in bringing down your pain levels once the pressure is off the nerve.

In cases of joint inflammation, massage will aid in the removal of inflammation from the affected area, if applied correctly; as is the case with piriformis tightness.  Carefully applied advanced massage techniques can release a contracted piriformis which will in turn almost immediately reduce pain levels. 

Stenosis is best addressed by a physician.  Massage will help keep the surrounding musculature free of tension.

Sacral iliac joint dysfunction can be relieved with adhesion release and deep tissue massage to loosen muscular tension and increase circulation to the area for faster healing.

When using exercise to help relieve sciatic pain it is important to remember some key points:
  • if exercise makes it worse STOP
  • you want the pain to creep from the distal points in the foot or leg to the central point in the low back (centralize the pain and that is where it leaves from)
  • if exercise makes the pain creep, it's the right exercise
  • talk to your therapist, doctor or physical therapist to get a list of appropriate home exercises
There is always hope for a pain free life. Don't be afraid to seek advise and help.


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