Guest guest Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 As far as sciatica goes, massage therapy can do a lot to relieve the pain. (I'm a massge therapy student, and have been studying pain management very intensely these past 2 semesters.) What is often called sciatica actually comes from trigger points in muscles of the hip, thigh, and lower back. If you can go to a massage therapist who specializes in trigger point therapy, myofascial release, or deep tissue therapies, chances are you can chase your pain away. Ask the therapist about how you can correct your posture, too. The way you sleep, sit, stand, and walk can all contribute to your pain. Something as simple as sleeping with a small pillow between your knees can make all the difference in the world with your lower back. It levels your hips out so that your qudratus lumborum, iliocostalis, and erector spinae muscles aren't being stretched on one side all night long. Good shoes with proper arch support can help, too - especially if you have Morton foot structure (2nd toe longer than the big toe). Women that walk a lot in high heels and men who sit on their wallets all day tend to have more lower back pain, too. I saw a lot of this kind of thing in our pain clinics this spring. Those clients who changed their shoes and corrected their posture showed phenomenal improvement from week to week. As far as massage and insurance,... a lot of insurance companies will now cover massage therapy if it is prescribed by a primary care physician. Although it is very difficult for massage therapists to file the insurance paperwork (insurance regs vary from state to state, but for me the MT must be part of a medical practice to be able to file), the patient can file for reimbursement themselves. They just need a script from their physician and the address and license number of their therapist as well as a copy of the receipt. If I were in pain and I knew that I could be reimbursed for at least a portion of my massage sessions, I'd find a way to pay up front and fill out the papers. New Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and save big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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