by Laurie Boris

Created on: April 11, 2009   Last Updated: April 14, 2009

Sciatica is a real pain in the butt. And if you've ever suffered from this irritation of the sciatic nerve, you know how miserable it can be - pain in your lower back and buttocks (usually on one side) and radiating down the back of your legs, too. Sometimes you can have a burning feeling, or tingling and numbness. Not only is sciatica miserable, but it can be difficult to treat. If you merely focus on the symptoms (for example, putting ice on it until it feels better), without treating the root causes of why the largest nerve in your body gets so sore, the pain could flare up again when you least expect it. But fortunately, and if you're patient, you can get lasting sciatica relief using massage therapy.

If this is your first experience with sciatica, you may want to go to your physician to make sure that your pain isn't being caused by any spinal problems like disk degeneration or misalignments. If an examination or an MRI rules this out, then the pain is most likely caused by muscles that surround the area where the sciatic nerve originates. You could be having muscle tension or spasms, and if so, a licensed massage therapist can help relieve your pain.

Since the sciatic nerve originates from the bottom of your sacrum, that sort of triangular-shaped bone that sits just above your buttocks, the muscles in that area are probably where your massage therapist will focus. These are the gluteal muscles (maximus and minimus), and a troublesome, pear-shaped little muscle called the piriformis. The piriformis connects the sacrum to the trochanter, which is the area of your hip where your femur (the long bone in your thigh) attaches. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to stick the sciatic nerve just a hair behind the piriformis. This is a perfectly wonderful system for people who are perfectly symmetrical. Most of us aren't. And, in some people, the sciatic nerve runs right through the piriformis. This can lead to chronic battles with sciatica, and these people will not only need treatment more frequently, but will need to learn how to manage their body mechanics to prevent flares. But even these folks, if they are diligent, can get lasting sciatica relief using massage therapy.

If the piriformis is tight or having muscle spasms (caused most frequently by too much sitting or driving,) it can pinch the sciatic nerve and give you pain along its length. Having your massage therapist apply static (constant) pressure to the gluteal muscles and the piriformis often can relax

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>