Sciatica – Can You Find Relief?

Sciatica can be a terrible and disabling pain that begins in the lower back and travels down into one or both legs.  The pain can be felt in the lower back, buttocks, hamstrings, thighs, behind the knees, calves, and even feet.  Chiropractic care and massage therapy (our integrative concept) has proven to be quite helpful.  We have had great success handing many cases of patients with sciatica.

Before you submit yourself to dangerous and irreversible surgery, more and more patients are seeking a natural approach offered by the chiropractic care!

The typical person who suffers from sciatica is over 40 years old and overweight.  It typically begins as acute lower back pain and then travels down the back of either lower extremity.  When really “fired up”, you may feel a burning pain extending from the back, through your buttocks and down your leg.  The pain is generally aggravated by bending, sitting, or standing.

Like a tree’s branches extending from the trunk, five pairs of nerves exit the spine in the lower back to form two sciatic nerves.  These nerves are the largest peripheral nerves in your body – about as thick as your thumb!  The discs of your spine are regular culprits when it comes to sciatica.  You have a soft, pulpy disc lying between each of your spinal bones.  While a disc can’t “slip”, it can bulge, herniate and rupture.  The causes can be acute trauma, repetitive micro-trauma (i.e. bending, twisting and lifting), or spinal degeneration/decay.  The injured disc can put direct pressure on nearby nerves.  The result?

Swelling. Inflammation. Pain.

You may suspect a disc injury involvement if you have more pain when you cough, sneeze, have bowel movements, or extend your back.  To be sure, I can perform a thorough examination in our office and detect sciatica caused by disc injury or other causes.  Sometimes I may prescribe an MRI if more information is needed.

Sciatica tends to worsen when you ignore it.  Extended bed rest makes it worse too.  Dangerous pain pills and muscle relaxers don’t correct the cause.  They just act to cover up the symptoms, and give you a false sense of healing.  Chemical fixes don’t get to the root physical cause.

Surgery often involves cutting away disc tissue or removing bone to make room for the inflamed nerve. Sadly, outcomes of spinal surgery are not very good statistically.

Fortunately, Sciatica Often Responds To Natural Therapy… Chiropractic Care, Massage Therapy, Laser Therapy, And Core Rehabilitation!

Our approach focuses on improving your body function.  Our techniques help improve joint motion, relax tight muscles, stabilize the body, and stimulate healing.  Millions of people worldwide have experienced good results from the type of care we provide.  Many of our patients have reported a freedom from their sciatic pain and an ability to resume their lives without resorting to drugs and surgery.

There is hope!  For a free introductory evaluation to determine if I can help your sciatica, please contact our office today.