Massage Therapy and Nerve Damage

Please take extreme precaution before visiting a massage therapist. Know beforehand what has brought about the condition you are suffering from. Only after you have received confirmation from a condition professional should you go and seek the services of a therapist. Neglecting to do this has caused some habitancy severe damage to their spinal cords.

Before you go for your first therapy session, first seek the guidance of person knowledgeable in this, who can guidance you as to where the damage has occurred. Sciatica occurs because of a disc that has protruded from it's position in the spinal column and is putting pressure on the nerve root in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve.

Damage History

Because your lower back and buttocks are complex when the sciatic nerve is affected, the therapist may start massaging and applying light pressure on these areas. The therapist will adjust pressure depending on your sensitivity to his/her touch in that area. At times deep vibrations that perforate deeper to bring relief are applied.

The Piriformis muscle is one of the small muscles deep in the buttocks that rotates the leg outwards. It runs from the base of the spine and attaches to the thigh bone (femur) almost where the face crease in your buttock is. The sciatic nerve runs very close to this muscle and sometimes even straight through it! If the muscle becomes tight it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve and cause pain which can radiate down the leg.

The therapist will also consolidate on the Piriformis muscles and will slowly start massaging along the sacrum edge. The sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine and at the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge in the middle of the two hip bones. Its upper part connects with the last lumbar vertebra, and lowest part with the coccyx (tailbone).

The therapist will adjust pressure and convert technique depending on the sick person and how they adjust to the massage.

Massage Therapy and Nerve Damage