Getting Rid of that Pain in the Butt!

Treating Sciatica and Golfer's Back with Acupuncture

For thousands of years acupuncture has been used to effectively treat sciatica. Sciatica is a term used by conventional medicine to describe a type of back pain that originates in lower back and travels down the back of the leg along the trajectory of the sciatic nerve. Typically this pain is caused by an irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. The causes leading to this pain may be: lumbar disc herniation, spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), degenerative disc disease, or tight piriformis muscles (located in the buttock).

The Golfer's Curse

It is not uncommon for many golfers to develop lower back discomfort or sciatica at some point during their golfing activities. Much of this discomfort is attributed to the extreme forces and twisting imparted on the low back during the golf swing. If the swing technique is not correct or the abdominals and low back muscles are too weak to withstand the forces, it is very likely that pain in the back will occur. In fact, the prevalence of low back pain and sciatica in golf is such that it has led to the advent of the term "golfer’s back."

Benefiting from 3000 Years of Experience

Many people choose acupuncture as a viable alternative to conventional medicine due to its high efficacy and few side effects as compared to those that may be experienced with medications or surgery. Recent biomedical research into the mechanisms behind acupuncture suggests that it may promote the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Acupuncturists widely believe that acupuncture promotes blood circulation, nourishes ligaments and tendons, softens tight muscles, and reduces inflammation. By improving circulation you will keep the joints, ligaments, and tendons of the back supple. Improving circulation will also help soften the muscles and reduce inflammation which will directly decrease compression on the sciatic nerve. Once the compression is relieved, the pain will be alleviated.

A Golfer's Tale

Mr. S, a 60 year old man, presented his symptoms to me with a pained look on his face. He said he had "sciatica" which he developed after many years of golfing. Much of his pain was located in his left buttock, which worsened with sitting and while playing golf. When aggravated, an intense pain traveled down the back of the leg into the ankle, making it difficult to walk. He tried many different therapies which he found to be of little help. After assessing him it was clear that he had a classic case of "piriformis syndrome". His pain was being caused by a tightening of the piriformis muscle in the buttock. I assured him that he would feel a tremendous difference within a few treatments. After the first acupuncture treatment his discomfort improved by 80%. By the third treatment he felt almost no discomfort. Mr. S had suffered many years of annoying and sometimes debilitating sciatic pain, after 6 sessions of acupuncture his discomfort was gone.

Using an Ancient Medicine with a Modern Spin

At FirstHealth of Andover it is our goal to use acupuncture to get you out of pain. Once you are out pain we then use the results of modern research to keep you there. By employing the expertise of our Clinical Exercise Specialist we teach you what you need to do to keep those stabilizer muscles strong, supple and loose. Don’t suffer any longer. Use our combination of ancient and modern research to regain your mobility and freedom.


- Jose Ruiz, Lic.Ac., MAOM