The sciatic nerve is the single longest nerve in your body. It starts in your lower back and runs all the way down your leg (there’s one on each side). Which means that when this nerve is pinched or irritated, you can experience a lot of pain! Chiropractic for sciatica can help you minimize this pain and encourage your body’s own natural healing processes.
What is Sciatica? (And What is a Nerve, For That Matter?)
Nerves are clusters of cells that are responsible for sending signals to and from your brain. You’ve got nerves and nerve endings all throughout your body. Some of them are very long (as is the case with the sciatic nerve). Others are quite short. This network of nerves (called your nervous system) is responsible for your ability to touch, feel and move.
In some cases, nerves travel between muscle groups and through your bones, and wind around tendons and ligaments. That means there’s lots of opportunity for something to put pressure on a nerve. And this can cause significant pain and discomfort. Chiropractic for pinched nerves can often provide relief–and that’s usually the case with a condition called sciatica. Simply put, sciatica is pain associated with the sciatic nerve.
What Are the Causes and Symptoms of Sciatica?
Sciatica can be caused for a wide variety of reasons. In some cases, it’s because of a bone spur or herniated disk along the spine. In other cases, injury to the muscle can cause swelling and inflammation–which then pinches or puts pressure on the sciatic nerve.
In part because the sciatic nerve is so long, symptoms can be quite expansive, including the following:
- Pain that starts in the buttocks and radiates down into the legs.
- Dull achy pain in the back or leg.
- Sharp, “toothache-like” pain in the back or leg.
- Shooting pain in the legs.
- Numbness or tingling in the legs.
- Pain that is present in only one leg.
Sciatica symptoms can vary in severity: sometimes the pain is intense while other times it may be easy to ignore. Most people think of sciatica as a root cause in and of itself, but this isn’t necessarily true. Sciatica is a symptom. Left untreated, your pain can grow worse over time.
What to Expect from Chiropractic for Sciatica
The chiropractors at Diaspo have years of experience helping people recover from sciatica. Up to 40% of Americans have experienced sciatica pain. In many cases, these patients can benefit from dedicated chiropractic treatments.
Generally chiropractic for a pinched nerve (and specifically, chiropractic for sciatica) is designed to help improve mobility and encourage your body’s natural healing processes. This approach offers several benefits, including the following:
- There is no downtime after treatments.
- Sciatica caused by a muscle injury may heal more quickly.
- Many patients are able to avoid surgery.
- You will likely be able to resume your normal activities.
What Will Your Treatment Look Like?
In general, your chiropractic treatment may include:
- Spinal manipulation & mobilization of the spine: Manipulating the spine in specific ways can help to restore normal movement, which is therapeutic and allows your body to begin the process of healing itself. These sessions can help reduce nerve inflammation and irritability, providing an immediate relief of your sciatica symptoms. Over time, spinal manipulation can also help sciatica resolve more quickly.
- Spinal decompression: In many cases, nerve pain is caused because things get a little crowded (for one reason or another). And that’s certainly true of sciatica. Your chiropractor will lead you through movements that lengthen your spine, effectively “decompressing” the space between your vertebral discs. This can help minimize pain.
- Physical therapy: In some cases, your chiropractor may also recommend physical therapy for your sciatica. This therapy may be required for several reasons. For example, if an auto accident injury or work related injury has caused your sciatica, you may need to rebuild strength in your core muscles or your legs. The right physical therapy approach can often help you recover more quickly, building muscle and flexibility.
The exact chiropractic approach will vary depending on the root cause of your sciatica. For example, sciatica pain caused by a fall at a workplace or a car accident may be treated differently from sciatica caused by a bone spur.
If necessary, and if your chiropractic for sciatica does not relieve your symptoms, you may be referred to another medical specialist for further care. But because chiropractic care is non-invasive and has an easy recovery, this is often a first step in treatment.
Don’t Delay Sciatica Care
No matter the cause, chiropractic for sciatica will often include incorporating movement into your daily routine. Your chiropractor will be able to guide you towards movements that are beneficial and which don’t risk making your symptoms worse.
If you have sciatica, it’s important to seek out care. In many cases, your symptoms may not get better on their own. And even if they would, chiropractic care can help you feel better faster and heal more quickly.
Contact Diaspo Chiropractic and Physical Therapy today to schedule a consultation!
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