Tag: lower back pain massage in york

Sciatica And Lower Back Pain Relief With Massage In York

Last Updated – June 2026

As a mobile sports and therapeutic massage therapist in York, I help many clients suffering with sciatica and related lower back pain.

Sciatica can be incredibly frustrating and dibilitating. Whether it’s a sharp, burning pain, tingling, or numbness running down the leg, it can make simple things like sitting, driving, or even walking very difficult. While some cases need medical attention, many are caused (or made much worse) by tight muscles, particularly in the glutes, piriformis, lower back, and hips.

While fixing my own long-term back issues I learned that the correct targeted massage approach can provide significant relief by releasing the muscles that are compressing or irritating the sciatic nerve.

In this article, I explain the common causes I see in my York clients and how my personalised massage approach helps relieve sciatica symptoms and lower back pain. Often much faster than many people expect.

Table Of Contents

What Is Sciatica?

Sciatica is pain in your lower back and leg that is the result of pressure on your sciatic nerve, which runs from your hip down the back of each leg as far as your foot. It activates and supplies sensation to the muscles in the pelvis, legs and feet. As a slipped disc could be the underlying cause of your sciatica, a visit to your doctor as soon as possible is advisable. But it could be the result of tight muscles in your lower back, glutes or your leg. These can become inflamed and press on your sciatic nerve, which can cause chronic, long-term pain if left untreated.

Sciatica is a condition which involves pressure on your sciatic nerve, but isn’t necessarily related to general lower back pain. Tightness in your hips or lower back, or a weakness on one side of your back, could be the cause. Sciatica is typically ongoing and uncomfortable yet bearable, but it can flare up into a debilitating injury from something as simple as bending down to tie your shoelaces.

Anatomical diagram from behind showing the path of the sciatic nerve running from the pelvis down the leg, highlighting nerve compression and pain in the deep gluteal region.

Symptoms Of Sciatica

Depending on the original cause of your pain, there are a variety of symptoms you could have, or your symptoms could change. For example, it can be quite mild and have very little effect on your life, or it can be so severe you are unable to do everyday tasks. It might come on gradually and get worse over time, or it might be sudden and intense.

Also the way you might experience sciatica and lower back pain can vary considerably. It might be a dull ache that you only feel in your lower back, or it might feel more like a burning sensation that can extend to the back of your legs or even your feet. You might have muscle spasms and tightness in your lower back, upper back or hips, and you might only feel pain after prolonged sitting or prolonged standing (1).

Is It Sciatica Or Lower Back Pain

Sciatica and lower back pain are not the same, though they can have similar causes. Unlike lower back pain, sciatica uniquely transmits its characteristic pain down your leg and foot, even though both can originate in the lumbar spine. The difference is, a muscle spasm in the lower back can cause back pain, but only if the muscle presses on or impinges the sciatic nerve will it cause sciatica.

Sciatica can also result in leg tingling, numbness or weakness that can cause your leg to give way when you are standing. Plus sciatica pain usually affects one leg and is more burning or sharp compared to a dull ache or throb.

The specific location of the sciatic nerve compression determines the symptoms you experience. L4 issues usually cause problems with your thigh and you might feel weakness when straightening your leg. L5 issues can go as far as your big toe. They can also cause numbness on top of your foot, especially between your big toe and second toe. S1 issues are more likely on the outside of your foot and little toes. You might also have weakness when trying to stand on your tiptoes.

Common Causes Of Sciatica And Lower Back Pain

Sciatica and lower back pain that does not involve your sciatic nerve generally have the same causes:

Poor Posture

Whatever the cause of poor posture the result is weakened, tight muscles or muscles doing work they’re not designed for. For example, tight muscles on one side means that the other side has to do extra work. This can increase the chances of a strain on either side.

Four side-profile diagrams showing different posture types including forward head posture, anterior pelvic tilt, swayback, and rounded shoulders.

Heavy Or Awkward Lifting

Heavy lifting, or lifting in awkward ways, can put stress on areas already susceptible to injury. Bending forward at the waist and twisting to pick something up with one hand is an example of awkward lifting.

Sitting For Long Periods

If your job involves a lot of sitting, many muscles will become shortened and weak. The most affected areas are usually the hip flexors and hamstrings. In turn this prevents the hips being in their correct position which puts pressure on the lower back.

Being Overweight

The more overweight you are the more likely you are to have poor posture and the more stress there is on your back. This can cause chronic lower back pain and lead to a slipped disc or sciatica.

How My Massages Help Sciatica

As a qualified sports massage therapist, I can help relieve most causes of sciatica and lower back pain.

If the pain is coming from a slipped disc, the surrounding muscles often become inflamed and tight, which can put even more pressure on the sciatic nerve. This can cause pain close to the injury or radiate further down your back or leg.

If the cause is poor posture, whether from being overweight, awkward movements at work, or prolonged sitting, I focus on loosening the tight muscles that are pulling your body out of alignment. This allows the muscles to work more evenly on both sides, reduces imbalances, eases muscle spasms, and improves blood flow to speed up healing.

How I Treat Sciatica And Sciatic Nerve Pain

When a client comes to me with sciatica, I never just massage the painful area. True relief comes from finding and treating the muscles that are actually compressing or irritating the sciatic nerve.

My Approach

During your session at home, I start with a clear assessment. It can involve checking your posture, pelvic alignment, how you walk, and which movements trigger your sciatic pain. The most common culprits I see are:

  • A very tight piriformis muscle
  • Deep glute tightness
  • Tight quadratus lumborum (QL) and lower back muscles
  • An irritated iliopsoas or hip flexors
  • Poor pelvic stability

The Treatment

Once I understand the main causes of your sciatica, the session focuses on:

  • Releasing your piriformis and deep glute muscles that often trap the sciatic nerve
  • Careful work on your lower back and QL to reduce pressure on the nerve root
  • Addressing your hip flexors and surrounding tissues that contribute to pelvic tilt
  • Gentle neural mobilisation techniques to help the nerve glide more freely

I combine targeted sports massage with simple movement corrections. Because I also have an advanced personal training background, I show you specific glute activation and core stability exercises so the muscles that support your pelvis start working properly again. This is what helps prevent the sciatica from returning quickly.

Why My Treatment Is More Effective

Many generic massages only rub the lower back or leg. I focus on the whole pattern that is causing the nerve irritation. Because the treatment is mobile, you can relax properly afterwards in your own home instead of tensing up again on a drive home This makes a big difference with sciatica.

Most clients usually feel noticeable relief in the first 1–3 sessions, with progressive improvement as we continue to release the deep tension and improve stability.

Can massage really help sciatica?

Yes, massage can be very effective for many cases of sciatica. Especially when the pain is caused by tight muscles compressing or irritating the sciatic nerve. In my experience working with clients in York, the most common causes are a tight piriformis muscle, deep glute tension, lower back muscle spasms, or pelvic imbalances. Targeted sports massage helps release these muscles, improve nerve glide, reduce inflammation, and ease the sharp, burning, or shooting pain that runs down the leg. While it’s not a cure for every type of sciatica (some cases need medical investigation), many clients get significant relief and better long-term management through this approach.

How many sessions will I need for sciatica?

It really depends on how long you’ve had the sciatica and how severe the muscle involvement is. Some clients feel a noticeable reduction in leg pain after just 2–3 sessions. For more chronic or stubborn sciatica that has been present for months or even years, I usually recommend an initial course of 4–6 sessions, spaced 5–7 days apart. The early sessions focus on releasing the main compressing muscles, while later sessions work on preventing the problem from returning. After the main course, many clients move to maintenance sessions every 4 weeks if they have physically demanding jobs or hobbies.

Is the treatment painful?

I always work within your comfort zone and check with you regularly throughout the session. Some areas, such as the piriformis and deep glute muscles, can feel quite intense when they are extremely tight, but I never push beyond what you can tolerate. Most clients describe the sensation as “nice pain” or a discomfort that brings relief as the muscles start to release. If anything feels too strong, we adjust immediately. The goal is effective treatment, not to make you suffer through the session.

What’s the difference between your approach and a normal back massage?

A standard back massage usually just works on the lower back where the pain is felt. My approach is different. I look at the whole pattern that is irritating the sciatic nerve. This includes deep work on the piriformis, glutes, QL, hip flexors, and surrounding tissues, plus gentle neural mobilisation. Because I also have an advanced personal training background, I include specific exercises to strengthen weak stabilising muscles so the sciatica is less likely to keep coming back. This whole-body, root-cause method gives superior, longer-lasting results than generic massages.

Can you help with sciatica that radiates down the leg?

Yes, this is the most common type I treat. Whether you have pain, tingling, burning, numbness, or weakness running down the buttock, back of the thigh, calf, or even into the foot, I can help. By carefully releasing the muscles and fascia along the path of the sciatic nerve and improving pelvic alignment, we can reduce the pressure on the nerve. Many clients report that the radiating symptoms calm down significantly within the first few sessions.

Will I need to stop exercising while having treatment?

Not necessarily. I’ll give you honest, personalised advice based on your specific case. Many clients can continue with light walking, gentle stretching, or modified training. However, high-impact activities or heavy lifting may need to be reduced temporarily while we calm the nerve irritation. I’ll also show you safe exercises and movements that support recovery rather than aggravate the sciatica.

Why is mobile massage particularly good for sciatica?

After a sciatica treatment session, your muscles are often much looser and the nerve is less irritated. Getting into a car and driving (or sitting for a long journey) can quickly re-tighten everything and flare up the symptoms again. With a mobile service, you can stay in your own home, rest properly, apply heat if needed, or just have a bath straight after treatment. This relaxed environment helps the benefits of the session last much longer.

Book A Mobile Massage

If you would like to book a mobile massage in York please contact me on 07713 250352 or email david@massageinyork.co.uk. Includes sports massage, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. For more information on booking click here

Gluteus Medius – Is It Causing Your Lower Back Pain?

Last Updated – July 2026

As a mobile sports and therapeutic massage therapist in York, I see a huge number of clients with stubborn lower back pain that just won’t go away, even after rest, stretching, or regular physio.

In many of these cases, the real problem is not the lower back itself. It’s a weak or tight gluteus medius, which is the important stabilising muscle on the side of your hip. When this muscle isn’t working properly, the lower back and pelvis have to compensate, leading to pain, tightness, and poor movement.

Having overcome my own 30+ years of chronic lower back pain, and with qualifications in sports massage and Advanced Personal Training, I’ve become very good at identifying and treating gluteus medius-related lower back issues. Many clients are surprised when I show them how much their “back problem” is actually coming from their glutes.

In this article, I explain why the gluteus medius is so often the hidden cause of lower back pain and exactly how I treat it with targeted sports massage and corrective work here in York.

Table Of Contents

What Is The Gluteus Medius

The gluteus medius is a very important muscle that sits on the side of your hip, underneath the larger gluteus maximus (your main buttock muscle). Its main jobs are to:

  • Move your leg out to the side (abduction)
  • Stabilise your pelvis when you’re walking, running, or standing on one leg

When this muscle is working properly, it keeps your pelvis level and helps your hips move smoothly. When it becomes weak, tight, or tired, it can cause your pelvis to drop or tilt, forcing your lower back muscles (especially the quadratus lumborum or QL) to overwork to compensate.

Problems can be caused by anything that involves you bending forward, especially while twisted or lifting something heavy. This could be in the gym or something like using a spade in the garden. Anything that puts more strain on one side than the other. The damage can also be done over longer periods, which is more likely if you lean or twist when sitting or jog on a road with a camber.

Anatomical diagram demonstrating a pelvic tilt and hip drop caused by weak or inhibited gluteus medius muscle function during a step, leading to compensatory lower back strain.

How Does The Gluteus Medius Cause Lower Back Pain

This is one of the most common patterns I see in clients with stubborn lower back pain in York. When your gluteus medius isn’t doing its job properly, whether from tightness, weakness, or fatigue, your body has to find another way to stabilise your pelvis with every step you take. The muscle that usually ends up doing the extra work is the quadratus lumborum (QL) in your lower back.

The QL is not designed to do this job for long periods. When it’s forced to compensate, it becomes tight, overworked, and painful. This is why many people feel their lower back pain is worse on one side, or why the pain keeps returning even after stretching or massaging the lower back.

In my experience, a huge number of lower back problems are actually incorrectly diagnosed gluteus medius issues. Treating only the lower back gives temporary relief at best. Real, lasting improvement usually comes when we properly address the gluteus medius and the surrounding muscles.

Anatomy diagram of the quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle group, showing common trigger point targets addressed during a deep tissue or sports massage.

Pain In Your Gluteus Medius

Although the gluteus medius is often the root cause of lower back pain, many people don’t actually feel pain directly in the muscle itself. This is because the lower back (particularly the quadratus lumborum or QL) ends up doing the extra work the gluteus medius should be doing. The QL is not designed for this, so it becomes tight, inflamed, and painful.

When pain is felt in the gluteus medius area, it is most commonly felt along the belt line, up into the lower spine, or just below the hip. Some clients also feel it deep in the buttock or radiating into the top of the leg, but very rarely is the pain felt directly over the tailbone(1).

Anatomical illustration mapping out referred pain patterns across the hip, beltline, and upper thigh, which are targeted and released during a sports massage therapy session.

How I Treat Lower Back Pain Caused By Your Gluteus Medius

If the gluteus medius is involved (which it very often is), I never treat just the lower back. That approach usually only gives short-term relief.Instead, I work on both areas together:

  • Deep release of the tight gluteus medius and surrounding hip muscles
  • Release of the overworked quadratus lumborum and erector spinae in the lower back
  • Gentle mobility work to restore proper pelvic movement

After the massage I show you specific gluteus medius activation exercises (many of which are simple enough to do at home) so the muscle starts working properly again. This stops the lower back from having to compensate.

Many clients who previously had lower back massages that gave only temporary improvements get longer-lasting relief once we properly address the gluteus medius. If originally caused by poor posture or prolonged sitting this should also be dealt with, along with strengthening the muscles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my gluteus medius is causing my lower back pain?

Common signs include lower back pain that is worse on one side, pain along the belt line, pain that gets worse after standing or walking for long periods, or lower back pain that keeps returning even after stretching or massage. During your first session I can assess whether your gluteus medius is weak, tight, or underactive and is contributing to your pain.

Can a weak gluteus medius really cause lower back pain?

Absolutely. Not only is it very common but my own back pain was chronic because this issue was never addressed until I diagnosed and treated it myself. When the gluteus medius isn’t doing its job of stabilising the pelvis, the lower back muscles have to overwork to compensate. This is one of the most frequent patterns I see in clients with recurring lower back pain in York.

How long does it take to see results from treatment?

Many clients feel some relief after the first session. For noticeable and longer-lasting improvement I usually recommend 3–6 sessions, depending on how long you’ve had the issue and how active you are. We can also work on strengthening the gluteus medius so the improvements last long term.

Will the massage be painful?

I always work within your comfort level. The gluteus medius and QL can be quite tender when they’ve been overworked, so some areas may feel intense at first, but it should feel like a therapeutic “nice pain” rather than sharp or unpleasant. I check with you regularly and adjust pressure as needed.

Do I need to stop exercising while having treatment?

Usually not. I’ll give you honest advice after assessing you. Most clients can continue training with some modifications, such as temporarily reducing heavy squats, deadlifts, or running distance, while we work on releasing the tight muscles and activating the weak ones.

Why is mobile massage better for gluteus medius and lower back pain?

After treatment these muscles are looser and your pelvis is better aligned. Driving or sitting in a car straight afterwards can cause the muscles to tighten up again quickly. Having the session at home allows you to rest properly, do gentle movement, or apply heat if needed, which helps the results last longer.

Can strengthening the gluteus medius stop my lower back pain returning?

Yes, this is a big part of the long-term solution. Releasing the tight muscles gives you relief, but teaching the gluteus medius to work properly again, through targeted activation exercises, helps prevent the lower back from having to compensate. Many of my clients find their lower back pain becomes much less frequent or disappears for good once their glutes are stronger and functioning better.

Is it too late to fix this if I’ve had lower back pain for years?

It’s rarely too late. Even long-term issues often respond well once we release the tight compensatory muscles and properly activate the gluteus medius. I treated my own lower back pain after suffering for over 30 years and haven’t had any issues since.

Summary

Lower back pain is incredibly common, but in many cases the real problem is not actually in the lower back, it’s a weak, tight, or underactive gluteus medius.

When this important stabilising muscle isn’t working properly, the lower back (especially the QL) is forced to compensate, leading to tightness, pain, and recurring issues. Treating only the lower back usually brings only temporary relief.

My approach focuses on releasing the tight gluteus medius and surrounding hip muscles while also calming the overworked lower back. I then give you simple, targeted exercises to strengthen and reactivate the gluteus medius so the problem is less likely to return.

Many clients in York who had been struggling with stubborn lower back pain for months or years finally get meaningful, longer-lasting relief once we properly address the gluteus medius.

If you’re tired of recurring lower back pain and want to understand and fix the root cause, I’d be happy to help with a personalised mobile sports massage at your home.

Book A Mobile Massage

If you would like to book a mobile massage in York please contact me on 07713 250352 or email david@massageinyork.co.uk. Includes sports massage, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. For more information on booking click here