Research indicates that between 10 percent to 40 percent people suffer from sciatica pain. Even though it is a widespread ailment, there is a surge in myths and misconceptions, consequently making it a bit harder for people with sciatica to get the right treatment.
Speaking of treatment, many people suffering from this type of pain often ask: is a percussion massager good for sciatica?
The short answer is yes, because a percussion massager can reduce the inflammation, relax your weak muscles, and minimize soreness and muscle tension caused by sciatica.
What is a Percussion Massage?
Percussion massage is an innovative treatment for soft tissue pain and soreness. This breakthrough pain relief solution can be provided via a tool called percussion massager.
This type of massager is engineered to provide constant, short duration pulses deep into the soft tissues of your body.
Our Top Pick
Hypervolt Massage Gun
Designed to accelerate warmup and recovery, the Hypervolt uses QuietGlide technology to delivery 3 speeds of rapid percussion almost silently.
Professional masseurs and masseuses provide percussion massages via strokes with their hands, but this can turn out to be a very costly affair, especially if you need to book more than one session.
A top-of-the-line percussion massager can provide you with the same, often better and effective percussion massage than done with bear hands, right in the comfort of your home, and at a fraction of the price of going to a massage therapist.
You can also use myofascial massaging tools such as massage sticks, vibrating foam rollers to get relief from sciatica pain for similar results as a percussion massager.
But percussion massagers step it up a few notches, as they are able to hyper-target a specific target area, and offer a much more streamlined, automatic solution.
Percussion massages offer a plethora of benefits including increasing a broad range of movements by relieving stiff joints, and increasing blood flow to a specific muscle area.
Who can Benefit from a Percussion Massage?
Also referred to as deep muscle stimulation, percussion massages can help speed up the rehabilitation process of muscles that have been injured due to surgery, disease or trauma.
Further, percussion massages greatly increase blood circulation by allowing more oxygen and nutrients to enter your muscles, which in return reduces muscle fatigue and soreness.
Ways a Percussion Massager can Provide Relief from Sciatica Pain
1. Soothes Tense Muscles
A percussion massager can help relax tight muscles, and greatly reduce soreness and tension. When your muscles are tense, they tend to put more pressure on certain nerves including the sciatica nerve.
A percussion massager allows you to target precise muscles in your body, resulting in less pressure on your sciatica nerve.
Walking is another great way to get relief from sciatica pain, because doing so triggers the release of pain-fighting endorphins, and reduces inflammation.
However, a poor walking posture can aggravate your sciatica pain, and make it worse than when it first started.
With a percussion massager, you can speed up the release of endorphins, and can experience quick relief from sciatica pain.
Also Great
Theragun Pro
One of the original percussion massage guns. Powerful, quiet, and commercial-grade. The professional percussive therapy device in a league of its own.
2. Improves Blood Circulation
Improved blood circulation can help reduce the pressure applied by muscles on your sciatica nerve, and facilitates blood and oxygen delivery.
A percussion massager is an effective way to improve blood circulation, thanks to its various intensity massages to choose from.
Once you put a handheld percussion massager on your back, small bursts of vibration enter your body, which increases blood flow, and quickly flushes out the lactic acid, which offloads tension on the sciatica nerve.
3. Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Some medical experts suggest that sciatica pain can be triggered by emotional anxiety. This happens when the brain restricts flow of oxygen to the nerves in the lower back.
Using a percussion massager for two minutes on each muscle group before bed can help you feel relaxed and calm, reduces stress, and even helps you sleep better.
Anxiety may also contribute to increased sciatica pain, and can often make sciatica symptoms worse.
When you experience an anxiety attack, your nerves that are already weak with sciatica are put under intense pressure, causing the muscles to physically tighten.
If you suffer from anxiety and sciatica pain, then percussion massager therapy can rapidly induce blood flow to the soft tissues in your muscles, tendons and ligaments.
By targeting a particular spot with a series of pulses from a percussion massager, your connective tissues are relaxed, and the flow of white blood cells is increased.
However, along with regularly using a percussion massager, you should also get plenty of rest to recuperate from the sudden attacks of anxiety.
Best Budget Pick
Sonic Percussion Massage Gun
Designed to accelerate warmup and recovery, the Hypervolt uses QuietGlide technology to delivery 3 speeds of rapid percussion almost silently.
How to Use a Percussion Massager for Sciatica?
Percussion massagers work miraculously to help you get relief from sciatica pain, as long as long you use them properly.
When treating sciatica pain, it is best to use your percussion massager on the side you feel the pain, while focusing on the lower back, hamstrings and calves for approximately a minute each.
You have to very careful when you apply pressure with the massager to the sciatica nerve, and try and work around the area without applying any pressure.
It is easy to overuse your percussion massager when dealing with sciatica pain, and this may result in body aches.
With regards to how long should you use a percussion massager for sciatica, medical professionals recommend about least three times a day, depending on the level of pain you are experiencing.
Final Thoughts
The sciatica nerve is the longest and largest nerve in your body, and originates at the lumbar spine, continuing along the back of each leg into the foot.
When irritated, the sciatica nerve can cause pain, which can either be niggly, tightness or excruciating.
Percussion massagers are multifaceted devices that can provide relief from sciatica and other types of muscle pains.
They increase blood circulation, and relieve the muscles surrounding the sciatica nerve, resulting in great comfort.
Even though you can use a percussion massager for sciatica, it is recommended that you seek professional medical help if you are experiencing severe sciatica pain.
Percussion massagers are cheaper that visiting a brick and mortar massage clinic, and the best models work just as well as well as the real deal.
