Indications
Pain radiating along the path of the sciatic nerve.
Decreased internal rotation of femur.
Cautions
Use this technique with caution if you client has knee problems! This puts stress on the medial side of the knee.
If the client has knee problems I will use the variation that starts at 1 minute 10 seconds into the video.
Technique
Have client prone with knee flexed.
Stroke piriformis with heel of hand going from greater trochanter to sacrum while stretching the piriformis by pulling ankle laterally (internal rotation).
You can also work on the piriformis with the client’s leg abducted so that their knee is off the edge of the table. Press against their knee with your thigh so that their leg doesn’t move. Have the drape tucked under their leg so that they are securely draped, then work with the heels of your hands moving upwards from the gluteal crease to the crest of the ilium then laterally around the crest, working hand over hand.
A variation is to work into the piriformis using your elbow.
See Elbow into Glutes, Piriformis.
Member Comments
My wife has been suffering from a combination of Spinal Stenosis, Arthritis and Fibromyalgia which has had the medical world stumbling over themselves in order to provide her with relief. The Pharm. approach has of course been the Kaiser first attack which we have not been happy with due to it fostering no positive results, only extra co-pays. Her latest treatment by Kaiser was one of two scheduled epidural injections. The first session has provided her with some pain relief on the right side of her lower back and path of the sciatic nerve proximal to her greater trochanter leaving her left side to stew in pain until her next injection, next month. In the mean time, I decided to incorporate a dedicated schedule of sessions focusing on the “Sciatica – Prone” (Pg. 11 in the Deep Tissue Massage Book by Dr. Mally). WOW!!!!! You should see this woman’s eyes, wide as saucers, tears of joy and a huge hug as she reported that she went the whole day with NO PAIN for the first time in a couple of years.
I am going to continue my treatment and report my application to her doctor so that they might better understand that there are alternatives to pain medicine.
I just wanted to thank Dr. Mally and the Healing Arts Inst. for providing me the tools that I may do so much with.
Love and Blessings,
Dave Dowdy
This is so wonderful! I love and highly respect Dr. Malley. He is very professional, caring, funny, very good teacher. I’ve been using these technics on my clients too, and they work very well