Sciatica pain can be debilitating. It can keep you from performing everyday activities, and it can be difficult to find relief. Many people turn to massage therapy as a way to help relieve their sciatica pain. Massage is an effective treatment for this condition. In this article, we will discuss 5 of the best ways that massage can help relieve sciatica pain.
How Massage Therapy Can Help Sciatica in Five Ways
The biting, shooting sensation that runs down one side of your lower back and each leg can’t be overlooked. A sciatic nerve inflammation is caused by a condition such as a pinched nerve, poor posture, or a slipped disc. Sciatica pain can range from mild to catastrophic, and frequently lengthy periods of sitting cause severe agony, which increases when you attempt to sleep. The good news is that sciatica pain may be relieved. There are a variety of therapies for dealing with sciatica flare-ups without the need for surgery, including massage therapy.
- Relieve sciatica pain without surgery
- Massage therapy is a natural way to treat sciatica
- Regain mobility and range of motion with massage therapy
- Improve your quality of life with massage therapy
According to research, massage therapy isn’t only a way to unwind and enjoy, but it’s also a powerful pain reliever. The power of touch reduces muscular tension and induces the production of natural pain-relieving chemicals called endorphins in the brain. The same chemicals that are released in your body during exercise and laughter are also known as “feel good” chemicals. You can “de-stress” by getting a relaxing massage, but that’s not all. The following four methods describe how massage treatment can reduce sciatic nerve pain:
1. The Recovery Process Will Be Enhanced by Better Circulation
A relaxing rub is a wonderful way to get rid of sciatica pain caused by an issue in the back. The pressure produced during a massage assists blood flow throughout the afflicted region. Increased circulation allows deficient and tense muscles to obtain the oxygen-rich blood they require to recover.
Furthermore, the squeezing and pulling during a massage treatment flushes lactic acid from the muscles and improves the circulation of the lymph fluid that carries metabolic waste away from muscles and internal organs. Consider a tube of body lotion, when you apply pressure and squeeze the tube, the lotion flows out more easily. The same principle applies to your blood and lymph flow during a massage treatment.
2. Find the Right Therapists for the Job
Not all massage practitioners are the same when it comes to relieving sciatica nerve discomfort. It takes years of study and expertise for a massage therapist to perfect one particular approach. If they haven’t been trained on how to treat your sciatica, not all massage therapists will be capable of assisting you with this problem.
Sciatica pain may have a big influence on your quality of life, from sitting to walking, sleeping, and any activity in general. Highly qualified massage therapists can provide your body with greater mobility and range of motion in addition to pain treatment.
3. Focus on the Trigger Points, but Take a Closer Look at Other Areas as Well
Ensure that your registered massage therapist focuses on all of the muscles surrounding the sciatic nerve that is influenced by it. These regions include your:
- glutes
- upper leg and the gluteus (the piriformis)
- hamstring
- lower back (quadrates lumborum)
- the backside of the hip socket (quadratus femoris)
- the slender muscle flowing along the lower spine, or lumbar (the psoas)
4. Self-massage for sciatica alleviation
The glutes, inner thighs, and outer hips are some of the muscles that benefit from self-massage techniques using a ball or massage tool to help release muscular tension, restore the body’s alignment, reduce compression around the sciatic nerve, and decrease pain.
For each of these exercises, you’ll need to search along the length of each muscle to discover those tighter spots on your body, using a ball or massage tool, with a few exceptions. Once you’ve identified a tight spot, rest in it (with pressure on that area) for 30-90 seconds (based on your comfort level). Concentrate on breathing and relaxing that muscle.
After releasing the pressure, you may transfer the ball or tool to a different portion of the same muscle, or move to another area and repeat the procedure: direct and constant pressure with deep breathing for 30-90 seconds.
5. Massage After Your Session is Over, But Keep Its Benefits With Post-session Follow-up Care
Self-care techniques and natural treatments can be used to lessen swelling and strain on the inflamed sciatic nerve. These may consist of:
Cold packs – When the sciatic nerve first flares up, a cold pack may be soothing to the affected area. Several times a day, apply an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a fresh towel to the affected area for up to 20 minutes at a time.
Hot packs – Apply heat to the sore areas after two or three days. Use a heating pad or hot pack on its lowest setting.
Lifestyle changes – Remove your wallet from your back pocket when sitting and avoid sitting for a long time.
Self-massage methods – Massage the affected area while sitting on a tennis ball.
Stretching – Perform a practice of stretches that concentrates on each of the muscles that are being hurt. To reduce pressure on the nerves, keep these muscles flexible.
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