Massage for Sciatica

What is Sciatica?

When the sciatic nerve in the lower back is pinched or irritated, itcan cause painful symptoms known as sciatica.Common symptoms include a sharp or burning sensation that radiates from the buttocks to the legs, loss of sensation in theaffected region, tingling, and challenges with mobility.

What causes sciatica?

This might happen if you participate in a high-impact exercise thatyou are not conditioned for, or if you just lead a sedentary lifestyle and pay little attention to stretching and strengthening your muscles.

Risk Factors

Factors that increase the likelihood of developing sciatica include age, being overweight,smoking, injury, leading a sedentary lifestyle, engaging in physically demanding tasks like lifting, Inactivity and prolonged sitting.

Massage

Massage therapy may help with sciatica pain relief by increasing circulation and decreasing inflammation in the affected area. A massage therapist can assist ease nerve discomfort by treating the piriformis muscle, which frequently pushes against the sciatic nerve when it tightens or spasms. Additionally, it helps in the relaxation of tense muscles that have been inflamed as a result of nerve compression. Massage therapy stimulates the release of endorphins, which are naturally occurring hormone-like substances that alleviate pain. Trigger Point massage is a technique that specifically targets and alleviates pain and tension in the body by focusing on particular knots in the muscle. Sciatic nerve discomfort is often caused by trigger points in the soft tissue, which are treated with focused, sustained pressure. To alleviate the nerve pain associated with sciatica, this technique utilizes slow, deep strokes to target the deepest layers of your muscles and connective tissues; this helps break up scar tissue that accumulates after an injury and lowers stress in the muscle and tissue. Adding hot stones into your massage can alleviate and loosen the muscles on a deeper level. The thermal properties of the stones facilitate vasodilation of the blood vessels in the area of the afflicted region, hence mitigating inflammation and promoting enhanced blood flow. Massage can relieve pain and enhance your overall quality of life. Regular sessions can help you relax tight muscles, enhance blood circulation, relieve tension, and improve your mood.

References

Bell J. Massage therapy helps to increase range of motion, decrease pain and assist in healing a client with

low back pain and sciatica symptoms. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2008 Jul;12(3):281-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2008.01.006.

Epub 2008 Apr 10. PMID: 19083683.

Crawford C, Boyd C, Paat CF, Price A, Xenakis L, Yang E, Zhang W; Evidence for Massage Therapy (EMT)

Working Group. The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations-A Systematic Review and Meta-

Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part I, Patients Experiencing Pain in the General Population. Pain Med.

2016 Jul 1;17(7):1353-1375. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnw099. PMID: 27165971; PMCID: PMC4925170.

Miake-Lye IM, Mak S, Lee J, Luger T, Taylor SL, Shanman R, Beroes-Severin JM, Shekelle PG. Massage for

Pain: An Evidence Map. J Altern Complement Med. 2019 May;25(5):475-502. doi: 10.1089/acm.2018.0282. Epub

2019 Mar 20. PMID: 30892910; PMCID: PMC6533778.

Next
Next

7 Reasons why you feel better after a Massage