Is A Massage Gun Good For Sciatica? Will It Help?

Is a massage gun good for sciatica?
Well, yes, it can help treat your sciatica if used properly. This article will provide answers on massage gun use to treat sciatica. Follow along!

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Sciatic Nerve Pain Background

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Is a Massage Gun Good for Sciatica?

Sciatica isn’t an uncommon condition, and if you are suffering from it, you’re not alone. In fact, it affects 10% to 40% of the population at some point in life.

Symptoms may not be the same for everyone, but it mainly displays as pain in the lower back and down the leg (either a portion of the leg or all the way down).

While there may be several names for it (depending on your doctor), the leading causes for sciatica include:

• Back strain (sometimes caused by heavy lifting with poor mechanics),
• Pregnancy in women (the baby puts pressure on the sciatic nerve) and
• Piriformis syndrome (more recently referred to as deep gluteal pain syndrome) – a condition that causes muscles to tighten and compress the nerve root.

But how do you treat it?

Well, there are two known ways that involve the use of a percussive massager:

1. Physical relaxation: Percussion massagers can provide a deep tissue massage, which helps to relax tight muscles by loosening layers of soft tissue and decreasing muscle tone. This results in improved tissue pliability and blood flow, which can relieve pain caused by sciatica.
2. Mental relaxation: Percussion massagers are great tools for winding down and de-stressing since they provide vibration and promote the release of endorphins, which can help calm the nervous system and reduce sensitivity to pressure around the sciatic nerve/nerve root.

Note that while massage guns may help to manage sciatica, they may not treat the underlying causes of your sciatica – some of these include a bulging or herniated disc, lumbar stenosis, or spondylolisthesis (slipping of the vertebrae). However, deep tissue massage has been known to have a comparable effect as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in treating lower back pain – which is often a symptom of sciatica.

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How Does a Percussion Massager Help with Sciatic Nerve Pain?

Since sciatica is caused by pressure being applied to the sciatic nerve (could be a joint, a muscle, or a herniated disk), a percussion massager is a sure way to work both muscles and joints to bring back the feeling of relief.

You can ease some of the pressure on the sciatic nerve by passing a percussive massager over your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. 

• Some of the sciatica pain may also result from swollen fascia around the muscles. This can cause acute pain in the affected areas. Percussive or vibrational therapy using a massage gun can improve blood flow into the myofascial tissues and reduce inflammation. This, in turn, may effectively relieve the sciatica pain. 
• Another cause of sciatica, as mentioned above, is straining muscles in the lower back during heavy lifting or an intense workout. The irritated muscle may further irritate a nerve root, generating sciatica pain. A hand-held massager will help loosen up the area to relieve irritation on the nerve root.
• Tense muscles and/or trigger points can also cause pain in your lower back, glutes, hamstring, and calves. A percussive massager can be effective in treating trigger points to help with myofascial release. 

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So, Will a Massage Gun Help?

As we’ve said, percussive massage therapy can only help to alleviate the pain that comes with sciatica. However, when it comes to treating the underlying issue, you may have to contact your doctor for further help.

If you have already sought help from your doctor and they have recommended a massage gun as a complementary treatment, then this article is for you. This device will go a long way in helping you manage the tension and pain in your muscles, but that’s it.

If you aren’t sure what is causing your sciatica, you can also use a hand-held massager to help alleviate the pain and improve blood flow in your muscle tissue.

However, if the pain does not go away after a few sessions, you may need to consult a doctor or a physiotherapist. A typical treatment may include medication, manual therapy, or exercise, though percussive massage therapy is becoming increasingly recommended for home use to complement these therapies.

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So, Should You Get a Percussion Massager?

Absolutely! As previously discussed, deep tissue therapy using a percussive massager can effectively manage sciatica. There are many other benefits of using massage guns as well.

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How to Use a Massage Gun for Sciatica

If you are sure using a massage gun to treat your sciatica is safe, you can apply the following steps using your device.

1. With your percussive massager in hand, start treating the side of your hurting body. Treat your lower back, thigh area, and calves for one or two minutes, depending on your pain. If both sides of your body experience the symptoms, you can treat them both to ease the discomfort.
2. Remember to focus on the lower back, thigh area (hamstrings), and calves. However, don’t be so quick to exert pressure, especially on the piriformis muscle. Turns out this muscle doesn’t like being pressed for more than a few seconds. Make sure you simply pass the device over this area and only limit the amount of time spent here, especially during the first few uses.
3. Just to be clear, excessive pressure on the piriformis muscle may injure it or excessively irritate the sciatic nerve, causing more pain—not cool! Again, simply pass the device over the affected muscles and let it do the work.
4. Finally, even though the sciatic nerve is the problem, don’t pass the massager directly over it with too much pressure. Instead, maneuver around the target areas as you easily swipe along the sciatic nerve. Be gentle with yourself!
5. In the same spirit of being gentle to yourself, we recommend feeling out the massage as you go. If it hurts, try some stretches or icing the painful area first. Also, remember to go easy on bruises caused by recent surgery. Another thing is don’t pass the percussive massager over bony areas or joints.

NOTE: Remember that different devices have different specifications and will work differently. We recommend that you read the device manual before using it.

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Can a Massage Gun Help with Sciatica? Final Words

Well, is it good for sciatica? The answer, as we have seen, is yes! These great devices can help you with your sciatica if you know what to do.

The best way is to first consult your physio or chiro for guidance on how to go about it, and when you feel confident, you can have a go at it.

Remember to pick the right sciatica massage gun and use it properly.

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