Massage for Sciatica
ByOne common, but easily fixable, problem is sciatica. Sciatica causes pain in lower back, glutes and hips. Sometimes the pain will go down the back of the legs. It can be accompanied by numbness and tingling. Sometimes it can even make walking difficult or impossible.
Sciatica can be very painful and even disabling some cases. However, studies have shown that massage is a safe, effective and economical treatment for sciatica, according to the Touch Research Institutes (TRI).
The usual cause of sciatica is the entrapment (also called impingement or compression) of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the major nerve in your body that all other nerves stem from. It starts at the base of your skull, runs down your spinal column and down the back of your legs.
Impingements can happen in various places, such as in one of the joints of the lower vertebrae or sacrum. Muscular tension can pull joints out of alignment, which places pressure on the nerve.
I’ve seen a lot sciatica and the way I relieve pain is to bring the body into better alignment and free the nerves that are trapped.
Deep Tissue massage techniques like myofascial release, trigger point therapy and neuromuscular therapy are the most effective for nerve entrapments. Swedish massage is also therapeutic but doesn’t work deeply enough to free trapped nerves.
Like other therapies, massage needs to be done on a regular basis for a period of time for maximum effect. However, massage is a noninvasive, holistic therapy that studies, as well as my own experiences, have shown is safe and effective for sciatica.
