Massage Therapy CEs | Pathology

Pathology - Sciatic Pain

Are you ready to take your massage therapy skills to the next level and become a trusted expert in sciatic pain relief? This course is designed for massage therapists who want to confidently assess, identify, and plan how to treat two often misunderstood issues faced by clients: sciatic pain and piriformis syndrome.

As a massage therapist, you've likely encountered clients complaining of radiating pain, numbness, or tingling down the back of the leg. But how do you determine whether the cause is true sciatica, piriformis syndrome, or another condition entirely? And more importantly, how can you provide lasting relief? In this course, we’ll teach you how to accurately differentiate between these conditions, understand their root causes, and plan to effectively address them.

You will learn:

- The anatomy and biomechanics of the sciatic nerve, piriformis muscle, and related structures.

- How to confidently identify visual and functional signs of sciatic nerve compression or piriformis syndrome.

- Functional and range-of-motion tests to assess the client’s condition with precision.

- To identify massage and bodywork techniques to relieve tension in the piriformis and surrounding muscles, reduce nerve irritation, and restore balance to the hip and lower back.

This course is designed to give you real-world knowledge that you can immediately incorporate into your practice. You'll gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanics of sciatic pain, allowing you to customize your approach to fit each client’s unique needs. By the end of this training, you’ll be able to create lasting change for your clients, reduce their discomfort, and improve their mobility.

Details About This Online Course

Tuition: $39 USD

Continuing education CEs earned: 4

Course classification: Cognitive (course materials consist of concepts related to massage therapy but do not teach hands-on techniques)

Approved by: Institute of Somatic Therapy is approved by the NCBTMB (Provider #280672-00) as a continuing education Approved Provider. Institute of Somatic Therapy is approved by Florida (#MCE-326), and New York (#0019). Our courses are also valid for most individual states, as well as for both the AMTA and ABMP. Some states limit how many hours can be done online or by home study. Please refer to our State Guidelines section for specific information about your state. Laws can and do change, and your state will hold you responsible for knowing the laws that apply to you.

Attention Florida Massage Therapists: This course is approved by Florida as an approved distance learning course for required hours of "relevant to massage therapy" category hours through 8/31/2025. You are still allowed to complete the 12 required "relevant to massage therapy" hours via approved online courses through at least 2025. The approval number for this course is 20-796658.

CE Broker Reporting: Institute of Somatic Therapy will automatically report your hours to CE Broker in applicable states ONLY IF you have provided your license number in your online account with us. You can verify your license information by logging on to our website, and reviewing your account information. If your license is not shown there, please select “edit” to include it. We generally report to CE Broker weekly, more often when renewal periods are closing. Once the course shows in your online account with them, you will have an opportunity to rate it. If you were happy with the course, would you be so kind as to take a few minutes to share that with others? If you were not happy, please share specific ways in which you feel that we can try to improve. Thank you.

Course Description: This fully online cognitive massage therapy course covers the anatomy and causes of sciatic pain, functional testing for piriformis syndrome, and treatment by the massage therapist or self-treatment. You will be able to distinguish between true sciatica and false sciatica (also known as piriformis syndrome). The course teaches concepts and ideas related to how to perform functional testing to determine if piriformis syndrome is the reason for the sciatic pain, and treat your client's pain with heat, stretching, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (postisometric relaxation and reciprocal inhibition), deep tissue massage, and static compression. You will also learn self treatment techniques that you can teach to your clients. Because this is a cognitive (not kinesthetic) course, it is not designed to teach how to perform neuromuscular facilitation and deep tissue massage, but rather to direct you how to apply those techniques that you would have learned during your initial or continuing massage education.

Student Comments: "I just wanted to let you know I absolutely love your online courses. They are so easy to follow and informative. Thank you for all of the time, effort and resources that you have put into your programs. I will definitely be back for future courses." Desiree Conner, Dawsonville, GA (Desiree has taken Shoulder Dysfunction, Pathology - Sciatic Pain, Research - Infant Massage, and several ethics courses.)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Who is this course designed for?

This course is tailored for licensed massage therapists who want to deepen their understanding of sciatic pain and piriformis syndrome. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or just starting your career, this course will equip you with advanced skills to assess and treat these conditions effectively, giving you the tools to deliver real results for your clients.

Do I need any prior experience with sciatic pain treatment to take this course?

No prior experience with sciatic pain treatment is required. We’ll start by building a strong foundation in anatomy and assessment before moving onto options for hands-on treatment. The course is structured to support therapists at any experience level.

Will this course teach me how to distinguish between true sciatica and piriformis syndrome?

Absolutely. A core focus of this course is helping you accurately differentiate between true sciatica, which typically originates in the lumbar spine, and piriformis syndrome, caused by muscle compression of the sciatic nerve. You’ll learn to recognize the key symptoms, perform functional and palpation tests, and apply targeted treatments based on your findings.

Still have questions? Reach out to us, and we’ll be happy to help! Thank you.