Sciatic pain has a distinct quality that makes it hard to ignore and hard to explain to someone who has not experienced it. It can feel like a sharp shooting pain, a deep burning ache, or an electric jolt that travels from the lower back or buttock down the leg. It can make sitting, standing, and walking all feel like compromises. And while the medical world has a lot to say about sciatica, massage therapy often does not get the recognition it deserves as a meaningful part of managing it....

Lower back pain is one of the most common physical complaints in the world, and also one of the most frustrating to deal with. You try stretching. You buy a better chair. You sleep with a pillow between your knees. Sometimes things improve a little, sometimes they do not. If you have been managing lower back pain on your own and not getting the results you hoped for, massage therapy may offer the kind of relief that self-directed approaches often cannot. Why Stretching Only Gets You So Far...

If you have ever gotten a massage, had the therapist spend the entire time on your neck and shoulders, and still walked out feeling like the knots came back within 48 hours — you are in good company. Neck and shoulder tension is one of the most common complaints people bring to massage therapy, and it is also one of the most stubborn. Understanding why it keeps coming back is the first step toward actually doing something about it. The Anatomy of the Problem The muscles of the neck and upper...