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Massage Therapy for Sciatica: How to Reduce Pain in the Sciatic Nerve

© Chris E Barrett

The pain of sciatica can range from a mild tingling down the back of the thigh or calf to an agonizing pain that makes it hard to walk, move, sit, stand, or even lie down comfortably. Current medical treatment might involve prescription pain killers, physiotherapy, or surgery. Massage can also be a helpful therapy for the sciatic nerve irritation.

What Causes Sciatica?

The sciatic nerve is made up of several nerve roots coming from the low back and sacral area combining to make a nerve bundle which is about as big around as a thumb. This makes it an easy target for compression. Since the sciatic nerve is connected down the back of the thigh and the entire lower leg and foot, it's not unusual to suffer from pain down the leg.

Under the gluteus maximus muscle, there is a group of small but vitally important muscles. These serve to stabilize and rotate the leg at the hip. The largest of these is piriformis. It runs from the sacrum on a slight angle out to the greater trochanter, that big bony bump in the thigh when the hip sticks out to the side. The sciatic nerve has to navigate between piriformis and the other muscles, and when piriformis is tight, it compresses the nerve.

Massage Therapy for Sciatic Pain

• Start the massage with a hands-on assessment of the entire lower back and buttock area. Often the lower back muscles are also involved in the source of pain.
• Concenrate on piriformis, starting with the edge along the sacrum.
• Adjust pressure and technique depending on the person. Sometimes what is most effective is gentle vibrations on the buttock and sacrum. Other times, the deep work does the trick.

Another very valuable treatment for this type of pain is chiropractic care. Clients often benefit from both therapies, commonly obtaining relief that lasts for months.

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