I am often asked about the effectiveness of massage techniques for Sciatica or Sciatic Pain.
It rather depends on the cause of the pain - a number of different things can cause pain where sciatica is present.
- The sciatic nerve root can be impinged as it exits the lumbar spine, often causing a sharp pain in the buttock that radiates down the leg.
- In a small percentage of the population a branch of the sciatic nerve is routed through the piriformis muscle in the buttock, thus any imbalance, tightness or inflammation in this area can cause chronic sciatic pain, symptomatically similar to the above.
- In either, case the pain from the impinged or irritated nerve can become chronic by compensatory muscle use.
- Pain that is symptomatic of impingement of the sciatic nerve but often exacerbated or caused by other factors, principally muscle imbalance in the lumbar region, buttocks and thigh muscles, frequently accompanied by a leg that is turned outwards from the hip (but not always)
Numbers 2 - 4 are all treatable with massage and stretching techniques. My advice is to book a 40 min appointment, in which I can assess the situation, alleviate areas of pain that I can and make recommendations for further investigation/treatment where appropriate.
As with many injuries, alleviating pain and releasing areas of overcontraction, scar tissue and unravelling the postural compensations that may have led to the injury can be very beneficial. - click the link at the top of the page if you would like to make a booking.
I hope this helps, Tracy