• Sciatica •
Chiropractic care can relieve your sciatic pain.
Did you know that sciatica is a symptom rather than a cause?
The sciatic nerve is the large nerve that travels from your lower spine, through your buttocks and down your legs to your toes. “Sciatica” is the word that we use to describe symptoms travelling down the very same path.
It is not a disease it is just an accurate location of symptoms.
Sciatica can be painful and debilitating, however it has been scientifically proven that chiropractic care can help reduce your sciatic pain.
What are the Symptoms of Sciatica?
Sciatica can vary between a dull pain to a sharp burning pain which will often travel down one or both legs, it can be associated with ‘pins and needles’, numbness and muscle weakness. There can also be abnormal neurological findings such as reflex loss, muscle weakness, and sensory changes.
The location of the pain is very specific with sciatica. The pain will be felt in the back of the thigh, balk and side of the calf and the outside of the foot. Often pain that is felt in the outside or the front of the thigh is wrongly called sciatica.
For those individuals who suffer from severe sciatica a good night’s sleep is seemingly impossible and essential tasks and movements such as walking, standing, bending or standing can be difficult. The pain can last from a few hours to days or weeks at a time.
What are the Common Causes of Sciatica?
- Referred pain which usually comes from abnormal movement and degeneration of the muscles, joints and ligaments of the spine
- Neurogenic pain which is produced when a nerve is compressed or irritated. The most common causes of nerve compression are:
- Disc injuries can sometimes require surgery but fortunately this only occurs in a small number of serious cases.
- Spinal Stenosis is where the spinal canal is narrowed causing pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Degeneration, tumours, cysts, structural variations or fractures can all cause this condition.
- Piriformis Syndrome is where the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve as it passes out of the pelvis.
Whilst the treatment is different for each cause the pain is often the same to the patient which is why an accurate diagnosis needs to be made.
How can Chiropractic Care Help Sciatica?
With sciatica an accurate diagnosis is everything. Once we have found the specific cause of the pain we can design a individual treatment program to restore the function and deal with the inflammation.
We use a combination of highly specific chiropractic techniques to restore normal movement to the spine. This is combined with a well-tailored rehabilitation exercise programme to help restore the movement in the spine and to strengthen the muscles in the region.
We may also recommend heat and ice to reduce the swelling and relieve the pain and muscle tightness. Pain relieving or anti-inflammatory drugs may be recommended to help ease any discomfort if necessary.
How Long Does it Take to get Better?
The healing process takes time and can vary from person to person often depending on the severity of the condition and the history of the complaint.
While most patients find some degree of pain relief in the first few days, depending on the cause of the sciatica it can take weeks months to completely correct the underlying problem.
If we have any doubts about the cause of your problems or we believe that you need to see a medical professional such as a doctor or spinal surgeon we will help you get a referral for a second opinion.
Doctors and surgeons may consider treatments such as Epidural injections can help decrease the inflammation in severe cases. Surgery such as discectomy and laminectomy should only be considered as a last resort when all other treatments have failed.
We have over 40 years experience in the treatment of Sciatica
As your professional chiropractor, we will take a complete history of your past and present symptoms and complete a thorough scientific examination to accurately find the cause of your sciatica. We will explain clearly to you what is wrong and recommend an individual treatment program designed specifically to remove your symptoms and restore your health.
We pride ourselves on our exceptional care and the treatments that we offer. We look forward to helping you in the future.
