Having sciatica pain can make daily activities like sitting, walking, and standing a challenge. You may experience pain in your lower back, legs, feet, hips, and buttocks. While pain killers can provide temporary relief, you may want to consider getting a massage to ease sciatica pain.

Read on to learn how massage is beneficial and find out about the different massage techniques that can reduce pain.

Benefits of massage for sciatica

Massage therapy can help ease sciatica pain through relaxing tight muscles, reducing stress, improving blood circulation, and creating a better healing environment.

Having tight lower back muscles, core, and trunk can create pressure on the sciatic nerve root. Tight muscles can also tie up into painful nodules, leading to trigger point pain. Massage can help loosen and stretch these muscles, which improves pain in your lower back.

Massage stimulates the pressure receptors, something that reduces cortisol levels in your body. Lower cortisol levels mean reduced stress. The relief and relaxation that comes with reduced stress give you less perception of pain.

Furthermore, soft tissue manipulation stimulates blood vessels in your dipper tissues, which facilitates the circulation of nutrients that promote healing.

The best types of massage for sciatica

Some of the best massages that could help with sciatica pain include:

Deep tissue massage

Deep tissue massage uses deep finger pressure and slow strokes to relieve tension from your connective tissues and muscles. You only need a 30-minute session to see improvement in your low back pain.

Hot stone massage

Hot stone massage eases tense muscles while promoting relaxation. A massage therapist places heated stones on certain parts of your body, or she may use the stones when performing Swedish massage techniques.

Swedish massage

A massage therapist uses flowing movements to stimulate nerve endings, something that increases blood circulation. Swedish massage also promotes relaxation and releases general tension.

While massage may not cure the underlying cause of your sciatica pain, it can help improve your quality of life and relieve your symptoms. Remember to consult your doctor before starting any massage therapy to ensure that it’s a safe option for your sciatica pain.