Why Your Sciatica Feels Worse in Summer
If you live in Colorado Springs and your sciatica has been flaring up more consistently, you are not imagining it, we hear it here all the time here at Inspire Movements Massage Therapy. Summer creates a perfect storm of triggers for sciatic nerve pain, and many people in the 80920 area, typically those residing in the Briargate area to Cordera to Pine Creek, are dealing with this right now.
Here is what is happening in your body, and most importantly, what you can do about it at Inspire Movements Massage Therapy.
The Three Summer Sciatica Triggers Most People Don’t Notice
1. Dehydration- At Colorado’s altitude, you lose water faster than you comprehend. Dehydrated spinal discs compress more readily, increasing pressure on the sciatic nerve. If you are a working professional commuting near Academy Blvd or spending time outdoors near the USAFA hiking trails, you need more water than you think to keep your discs cushioned.
2. Increased activity without preparation- Summer hikes are the best! Whether you are commuting around Garden of the Gods, weekend trips to Pikes Peak, or just some summer yard projects around your Briargate home are all wonderful, until your piriformis or other deep 6 glute muscles lock up and presses on nerve roots. A muscle that was already tight from months of desk work does not appreciate being pushed without preparation.
3. Sitting on hard surfaces- Day-to-day desk work is understandable to have nerve root pain, but think about the new patio chairs, bleachers at Rampart High School games, car seats during road trips and all the new seats you’ll be taking on this summer. Hard surfaces compress the glutes and piriformis directly over the sciatic nerve pathway. For someone already dealing with sciatica, this is a fast track to yet another flare-up that could last for days.
What Actually Helps Sciatica And What Won’t
Stretching helps. Ice and heat help temporarily. But if your sciatica keeps coming back, it is because the underlying muscle compression and spinal tension have yet to be fully addressed. That is where therapeutic massage makes a significant difference.
At Inspire Movements near Briargate, I use ashiatsu massage, which is a technique where consistent, broad foot pressure is applied along the erector spinae through to the quadratus lumborum and into the deep gluteal muscles where the sciatic nerve travels. This is not a surface-level approach. Ashiatsu reaches the piriformis, the QL, and the lumbar paraspinals with a depth that hands-on massage simply cannot achieve. Combined with cupping therapy, we can decompress the tissue surrounding the sciatic nerve pathway, pull stagnant circulation into adhesed areas, and create long-lasting change in the muscle quality to continue moving forward with your pain-relief journey.
How Often Should You Come In?
For active sciatica, starting with sessions every 2-weeks produces the most consistent progress. Those who commit to an every 2-weeks schedule through the summer report fewer flare-ups, better recovery after physical activity, and less reliance on over-the-counter pain management medications. The goal is not to just managing your sciatica, but it is building enough tissue resilience that summer activities do not knock you down.
Who Is This For?
This approach is ideal for working professionals near Briargate, healthcare providers from UCHealth and Centura Health who are on their feet all day, busy parents juggling summer schedules, and engineers and military personnel near the USAFA corridor who push through pain instead of addressing the root causes of it.
If your sciatica has been limiting what you can do this summer, that is a signal worth paying attention to.
Ready to get started? Book your appointment online at springslowbackpainrelief.com or call/text 719-459-0780.
Inspire Movements Massage Therapy is located at 1295 Kelly Johnson Blvd, Suite 250 in Briargate, Colorado Springs 80920.
Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday 9am-7:30pm. By appointment only. Weekend and evening appointments get booked the quickest, schedule now to get a priority spot!