Sunday, August 18, 2013

Massage Therapy For Back Pain Releif

By Michael Pritsker


Many people suffer from sciatic pain. The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the body and is composed of individual nerve roots that start by branching out from the spine in the lower back. Pressure or injury to the sciatic nerve results in sciatica. Sciatica is often characterized by constant pain on one side of the buttock, burning sensation down the leg, weakness in moving the leg, or sharp pain that makes it difficult to stand up.

Many cases of sciatica can be helped by massage therapy. The first step in identifying the cause of the sciatic pain is through orthopedic exams, neurological testing, and other diagnostic testing such as MRI's. These tests will help determine if the Sciatica is cause by disc bulge, spinal stenosis or Piriformis Syndrome. The Piriformis muscle is a small triangular muscle deep in the buttocks. The Sciatic nerve passes either through the Piriformis muscle, or underneath it depending on how a person is born. When the Piriformis muscle is irritated, it can contract and cause spasms. This often will press on the Sciatic nerve simulating sciatic pain.

Massage can help treat the cause of the sciatic pain when it is due to muscle spasms. If the Sciatic pain is caused by Piriformis syndrome, certain massage treatments are utilized to relax the Piriformis muscle and lessen the nerve root irritation. Many cases of sciatica have healed over a relatively short period of time once the piriformis muscle spasm had been addressed and corrected.

A subluxation is when one or more bones of your spine (vertebrae) move out of position and create pressure on, or irritate spinal nerves. If the subluxation occurs in the lower back near L4-S3, it is possible that the sciatic nerve is affected. Once a specific location of subluxation is determined, a chiropractic doctor can restore the spine to its proper alignment through gentle adjustments. Freeing up the subluxation will relieve the pressure off the nerves.

Finally, a herniated disc may be involved in the sciatic pain. As a disc degenerates, the inner core leaks out, which is known as a disc herniation. The weak spot in the outer core of the disc is directly under the spinal nerve root, so a herniation can put direct pressure on the nerve, which in turn can cause sciatica. Incorporating chiropractic, physical therapy, and spinal decompression is often very effective in restoring integrity to the disc, and allowing the body to heal. Consider massage care if you are experiencing sciatic pain.




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