MASSAGE AND SCIATIC PAIN

By Cameron Sinclaire

So many people are afflicted with sciatic nerve pain. However, most do not understand what it is or how it can be treated. There are more than 3 million cases found in the United States per year! Sciatic pain can occur when lower back muscles become tight and place stress on your sciatic nerve roots. These muscles may become knotted up into small, painful nodules causing trigger point pain. Pain may also radiate down the leg.

Massage therapy can help alleviate sciatic pain in one of two ways:

• Trigger point therapy

• Glute release/hip flexor stretch

Massage therapy can effectively stretch, loosen, and elongate these muscles improving pain and function in the lower back and legs. By releasing the glutes and hips, it will allow the blood to flow more freely throughout the body.