Quick answer
Pregnancy massage eases the muscle tension that builds in the lower back, hips, and glutes as your posture shifts, which is often what aggravates sciatic pain. It works on the muscles, not the spine.
Back pain and sciatica are two of the most common reasons women come to me during pregnancy. As your bump grows, your posture changes, your ligaments soften, and the muscles of your lower back, hips, and glutes end up doing far more than they are used to. That muscular load is what massage can ease.
Massage works on the muscles, not the spine itself. It will not undo the structural changes of pregnancy, but it can take the edge off the tension that makes those changes hurt so much.
Why your back and hips hurt in pregnancy
Three things stack up. Your centre of gravity moves forward as your bump grows, so your lower back curves more and the muscles there shorten and tighten. A hormone called relaxin softens your ligaments to prepare for birth, which makes the pelvis less stable. And the extra weight is carried by muscles that were not built for it.
So-called sciatic pain in pregnancy, the ache or shooting feeling down the buttock and leg, is often driven by tight muscles deep in the glutes and hips rather than the sciatic nerve itself. That is exactly the kind of muscular tension massage is good at releasing.
What the massage actually does
Lying comfortably on your side, I work the muscles that take the strain: the lower back, the deep glute muscles, the hips, and down into the legs. The pressure is firm enough to reach the muscle and release it, and always adjusted to what feels right for you on the day.
The aim is to loosen the tight, overworked muscles so they stop pulling and guarding. Most women feel looser through the hips and lower back by the end of the hour, and many sleep better that night because the nagging ache has quietened.
Sciatic pain in pregnancy is often driven by tight glute and hip muscles, not the nerve itself. That is exactly what massage is good at releasing.
What it can and cannot do
Massage eases muscular tension and the discomfort that comes with it. It is not a treatment for the underlying changes of pregnancy, and it is not a substitute for medical care. If you have severe or worsening pain, numbness, or any loss of control of your bladder or bowels, contact your midwife or doctor straight away.
Making the relief last
A single session helps, but back and hip pain in pregnancy tends to return because the cause, your growing bump, is still there. Many women find a regular rhythm works best, which is part of why I offer a Pre & Postnatal package of six sessions for £330.
Pelvic pain that sits more around the front of the pelvis or between the legs may be pelvic girdle pain rather than back pain, which is worked a little differently. Here is a guide to pelvic girdle pain and SPD.