Suffering from sciatica?

The term sciatica may arise from a series of different conditions that all come from a similar cause. Sciatica is a group of symptoms, such as pain resulting from general compression and irritation of one of the spinal nerve roots or irritation on the left or right or both sciatic nerves. You may notice a feeling of numbness, pain, stiffness, or twitching at your lower back and upper buttocks, which transcends down the back of the thigh, to the back of the leg and calf/foot.

Sciatica can make you lose the ability to walk or makes walking very painful. The best Chiropractor regularly treats sciatica, back pain bulging disc pain, and nerve pain. These symptoms of sciatica vary with intensity and frequency: moderate, mild, severe, and occasional, irregular, frequent, or constant. What sciatica feels like

•  Shooting pain while walking or moving around the waist
• Sharp stabbing back pain when the legs are moving in different positions
• Pain lying down or while sitting in a position, you start to notice a pattern of consistent pain; severe lower back pain
• Numbness in the feet and toes
• Difficulty controlling your limbs, loss of balance

Since many disorders cause sciatica, a sciatic nerve doctor or Chiropractor's first step is to determine the cause of sciatica in a patient. Forming a diagnosis involves a careful review of the medical history, physical and neurological examination of the patient. Once the chiropractor has a precise diagnosis of the cause, there are some conservative treatment options for sciatica, you can try, including chiropractic care.

How does chiropractic treatment work for sciatica?

Chiropractic care is a treatment option to consider when experiencing sciatica and back pain. Chiropractors specialize in spinal disorders and are trained in the treatment and management of sciatica, herniated discs, and lower back pain. The chiropractic management for sciatica and lower back pain may include X-rays, physical therapies, spinal chiropractic adjustment, and some rehab exercises.

Chiropractic treatment in for sciatica

The goal of sciatica rehab is to help the body heal and become pain-free. It is based on the scientific principle that limited spinal movement causes pain and reduces function and performance. Chiropractic care is non-surgical and considered non-invasive. If you seek chiropractic care for sciatica rehab, your treatment plan may include one or more of the following:

Chiropractic adjustments:

At the core of chiropractic care are spinal adjustments, and it is one of the most commonly used methods by chiropractors. During this process, a chiropractor manipulates the spine manually or with a machine. This can help relieve pain and pressure caused by a spinal misalignment.

This manipulation releases limited spine movement and helps restore the mobility and flexibility of the vertebral body in the spinal column. This adjustment also contributes to reducing the nerve irritation responsible for pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, stiffness, and other sciatica related symptoms. Adjustments should not be painful. The adjustment method has proven to be safe and efficient.

Cold or hot therapy:

A Chiropractor may recommend the use of heat and cold to relieve inflammation, stop spasms, and relax tight muscles. Ice therapy or Cryotherapy can help dull nerve pain and inflammation.

Ultrasound therapy:

Ultrasound is deep penetrating ultrasonic heat therapy produced by the ultrasonic sound waves penetrating deep into the tissue. Ultrasound improves circulation and helps reduce cramping, muscle spasms, stiffness, swelling, and pain. It has been used for years in physical therapy to promote healing and decrease pain and inflammation.

What are the best exercises for sciatica and back pain relief?

Targeted Exercises

At our office, I utilized a wide variety of exercises that must be specific and customized to each patient's conditions. Proper diagnosis is the key. Often time exercises that focus on the extension of the spine provide relief when there is a herniated lumbar disc in the spine. Other conditions such as spinal stenosis or arthritis respond better to exercises that are more flexion based where flexion of the lumbar spine is the goal. Runners and athletes with a tight hamstring and piriformis muscle may achieve better results with flexibility bases treatments where the leg, hip, and thigh muscles are stretched.

How long does it take to correct sciatica?

The duration of sciatica rehab will vary from one patient to another, depending on the severity and cause of the problem. Some patients respond very quickly, while others might take a longer time to recover. It depends on the condition of the disk or joints that your chiropractor has to diagnose and treat. The longer the pain persists, the longer it may take to correct. The good news is that it usually takes less time to handle than it takes to create it.