Will Massage Help Sciatica?
Will massage help people with sciatica? my grand mother just got sciatica and i was wounding if massage therapy will help the pain go way? if not massage therapy then what will help her?
Tags: Help, Massage, Sciatica, Will
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on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 4:27 pm and is filed under Back Injury.
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It depends on the source of the sciatica. A true form of sciatica involves an inflammation of the tissues that surround the nerve bundle. Often it is the result of impingement from the spine and/or entrapment from the muscles throughout the low back and posterior hip however, there can be other causes, such as a virus that has settled into the nerve tissues. Most cases of sciatica can be referred to as a “false sciatica” or a “piriformis syndrome” that is cause by one or more of these areas. Lower spine misalignment, spinal stenosis (narrowing of the space through which the nerve passes through), hip misalignment, hypertonicity of the posterior hip muscles, especially the piriformis muscle. The reason it is referred to as a “false sciatica” is because the source of pain is seldom due to an actual chronic inflammation of the nerve tissues, but due to pressure being put on it by any of the structures that surround the length of the nerve bundle.
Now, to answer the massage question. If the massage therapist is familiar with any of the above, AND knows how to address it, then there could be some great success with at least decreasing the severity of symptoms, possibly alleviating it altogether. A combination of Chiropractic, physical therapy and massage therapy can be a wonderful approach to correcting this issue. Pain relievers and anti-iflammatory meds can also help through the more hectic symptoms. A visit with your physician about this plan could be very helpful
Massage, from the right person, can help a lot in the pain of sciatica. It would take some time and any number of sessions, but if a massage therapist is able to work into the deep muscle of the lower back, hips, and glutes, then they can help to alleviate a lot of the nerve impingement that plays such a major roll in sciatica. Stretching within a massage can also be helpful.