Sciatic Nerve PainSciatic nerve pain is known as sciatica. Sciatica presents as what I would describe as a nervy pain that occurs in the lower back, buttocks and/or down the back of the leg. The pain associated with sciatica is changeable. It can be sharp or dull, constant or intermittent, isolated in just the buttocks or lower back or cause leg pain that stops at the knee or runs all the way down to the feet.The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It starts in the low back and runs all the way down the back of the leg to the foot. We have a sciatic nerve on each side of our body, but sciatica commonly occurs in only one side. Sciatic nerve pain can result from sitting in one position too long, muscle spasms, wearing high heels, obesity, slipped discs, osteoarthritis, or pregnancy. The pain is caused by the nerve being compressed or pinched by tight muscles, slipped discs or bone spurs. The piriformis is a muscle in the buttocks that lays beneath the gluteal muscles. It is a thin muscle that runs from the sacrum diagonally across the buttock to the top of the outer thigh. The sciatic nerve runs just under this muscle. When it becomes tight it compresses the sciatic nerve and causes pain. Tightness in the piriformis is a common cause of sciatica. If your pain is caused by muscular compression, massage can help it quite a bit. Positional release and trigger point therapy are two methods that work well to loosen the piriformis. I'd suggest seeing a neuromuscular therapist or a deep tissue therapist. At one point in my life when I was doing a lot of writing, I developed sciatica. It seemed to sneak up on me all at once one day. I think I was just too involved in the the work I was doing to notice the pain that was starting in the back of my leg. It hurt to sit down. It hurt to walk. My leg throbbed all night long. I used a similar technique to get rid of my sciatic nerve pain that I used when I had carpal tunnel syndrome. I did yoga every morning. I massaged myself everyday. It is easy to work on your piriformis using a tennis ball. I'll explain this technique in the ebook that I be putting up on the site soon. I got regular massages every week. I also had to correct my posture when I sat at the computer and took frequent breaks from working to get up and walk around. See a doctor to find out the cause of your pain. Once you find the cause you can begin the journey towards getting better. Some Books You Might EnjoyThe Sciatica Relief Handbook If you found this information useful, you might enjoy my ezine, Healthy Times. Subscribe and get this free downloadable guide to self-massage.
Return to The Benefits of Massage Therapy
Can't find what you're looking for? Try searching this site.
|
