4/16/2010

Sciatica

So many people say that they have Sciatica, but they don't. Actual sciatica refers to a herniated disc in your back that presses on the sciatic nerve. This obviously needs to be examined and diagnosed by a Dr. This condition causes pain in the low back that refers down thru the hip and into the back of the though all the way down your leg. A lot of people experience this type of pain but do not actually have nerve compression between L5 and S1. Often this painful syndrome is caused by tight hip muscles. The sciatic never comes out of the back and runs between a posterior hip muscles called the Piriformis. If this muscle is tight, it can impinge the nerve and cause the same symptoms as actual sciatic compression in the spine. Also, there are a few other hip muscles (like the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, other deep hip rotators) that when they are tight and consist of Trigger Points, the referral pain pattern will mock sciatica. This is where I come in. I can get in their (usually with my elbow) and release the Trigger Points in these muscles and manipulate the soft tissue so that you can have some relief. It is especially important to have a massage therapist work on these muscles as we will know where all of the structures and attachments are. Plus, we will be able to work on the related muscle groups to alleviate the tightness from the domino affect of everything be connected.

If you have sciatic type pain from these tight muscles, you can prevent by avoiding prolonged standing or leaning, not sitting on a thick wallet, making sure you are properly warmed up for sports events and especially walking uphill as well as stretching your hip out afterwards, proper foot support, and using cruise control on your car when appropriate.