I have had quite a few clients that have told me they have sciatic pain, a few have even claimed to have Sciatica.  In truth Sciatica is generally caused by the compression of lumbar nerves L4 or L5 or sacral nerves S1, S2 or S3, or far less commonly, by compression of the sciatic nerve itself, and it’s truly debilitating.    Those that have “sciatic” pain often suffer from piriformis syndrome or related conditions.

Sciatica is debilitating, it doesn’t just hurt, or cause a bit of tingling and loss of feeling.  It makes movement very difficult, extremely in fact.   Think having to move your leg with your hands.    This whole walking upright thing is quite complex.  The low back and especially the hip are quite prone to dysfunction.   Take a look at an anatomy chart sometime.  There are quite a few muscles with many different actions to be a part of.  Oh and there’s a pretty vital nerve running through or close to the aforementioned piriformis which makes this little guy one of the top five seeds of trouble in the body muscle wise.

I do not mean to dismiss those who have pain and want to name it.  Often, being able to just name your pain is beneficial on many levels.   Anything that brings us towards a better understanding of our bodies is a good thing.    Any information you can provide your massage therapist about your pain can benefit your massage session.  Simply knowing where the pain is coming from and what effect it has on your activity and mobility helps with any treatment you may get. Getting informed about different conditions can be helpful, but claiming you have a condition that has not been diagnosed by a doctor can impede your treatments.   WebMD or answering a few brief questions about your condition does not a diagnoses make.

If you have pain, see a practitioner that’s comfortable for you, whether it be acupuncture, massage, chiropractic or your medical doctor.   If the pain is truly symptomatic of a particular condition any of the first three should recommend you consult your physician for a medical evaluation.    Try to find a practitioner that is familiar with other specialists,  every one in the health field who is concerned about health often knows the other practitioners in the area.