How a Sports Massage Can Relieve Sciatica
20th January 2025
Sciatica can be a debilitating disorder for many people to deal with. Caused by a trapped or compressed sciatic nerve, the effects of sciatica include pain, weakness, numbness and affected range of motion.
One effective way to relieve sciatica is through a sports massage, which is a deep and intense massage known to reduce stress, relieve tight muscles and increase flexibility.
Can a sports massage relieve sciatica?
Yes, a sports massage can be used to relieve sciatic problems. Sports massages use techniques such as effleurage (using gentler, circular stroking movements) and petrissage (using firmer, massaging and kneading techniques) which are more intense than typical relaxation massages. This intensity, targeted to certain problem areas, is what makes a sports massage effective for treating sciatica.
Using sports massage therapy to deal with sciatica begins with identifying the main points which are attributing to pain. Normally, it is better practice to find a specific area which is causing trouble, and focus a massage mainly around this area, as this allows for more thorough and effective pain relief and treatment.
We might find a specific section of tissues or muscles which are the roots of your problems, and we would target this area first.
What is the best massage point for sciatica?
There are a few massage points very useful for treating sciatica, the first of which is the piriformis muscle. This muscle is located in the buttocks, and can compress the sciatic nerve when inflamed or swollen. We can use massage techniques such as a cross-leg stretch, in which the knee is pushed away from the body to stretch the piriformis. This should provide relief and healing.
Another useful massage point to focus on is the glutes. Trigger points on the top and sides of the gluteus muscles can cause pain in the sciatic nerve. People often treat this by finding the tender points using a tennis ball which is rolled around the buttock area, then massaging the specific area to trigger release.
Finally, certain points in the lower back can be massaged to treat sciatica. This is especially true if your sciatica pain is due to something like a herniated disc, or other lower back related conditions. The massage should be conducted by working alongside the patient to find the points which are causing the most pain or are the roots of problems, and then massaging these areas without causing excessive pain or discomfort.
How can sports massage help to relieve sciatica?
A sports massage can relieve sciatica in many ways:
Improve circulation - Sports massages increase blood flow and lymph fluid flow, which can reduce swelling and pain, as well as promote healing.
Target muscles and soft tissue - Using pressure, sports massages target muscles and soft tissue. This can relieve pain as massaging the right muscles can release a trapped nerve, or reduce pressure on the nerve.
Ease Trigger Points (“Knots”) - Some sciatic issues are caused by trigger points in lower back muscles, and a sports massage can release these effectively.
Increase flexibility - Sometimes, swollen muscles which cause sciatica are caused by improper function elsewhere in the body, which causes your body to overcompensate and puts strain on areas such as the lower back. A sports massage can amend this by restoring proper function in injured areas, increasing flexibility, and reducing the strain on the compensating area.
Release hormones - Sports massages are widely known to release hormones such as endorphins, dopamine and serotonin. Each of these can increase pain tolerance, and promote healing.
How often should you get a massage for sciatica?
The frequency for a sciatica massage will vary depending on the severity of your side effects. At Injury Mechanics, we are experts at treating sciatica pain and we’d initially perform an evaluation to determine the extent of the problem. At most, we’d suggest weekly, or even bi-weekly sessions for cases where pain is more severe. But for less extreme cases, we might suggest monthly therapy, or even less often than this.
However, you are the best judge of the pain you are feeling, so we’d always be happy to follow your overall guidance regarding this.