Living life with backaches and pains isn’t any fun and you may end up feeling quite miserable most days. It can put a strain on your lifestyle and mobility and even cause you to be moody and disinterested in your normal activities. What you don’t want to do is let the problem linger on for too long without a proper treatment plan. You have the opportunity to reduce and manage your pain and achieve a better quality of life with the right approach and treatment plan.

Be glad to know that there are chiropractic benefits for sciatica and is a way to alleviate the pain and address the issue head-on. Learn more about what sciatica is, the risk factors and the causes, as well as how chiropractic care may be the best treatment for it. It’ll be worth it once you are back to your normal routine and not in so much pain.

What is Sciatica?

Let’s begin by diving deeper into what sciatica is exactly and what it all entails. It has to do with experiencing nerve pain due to injury or irritation of the sciatic nerve. This originates in your gluteus area and this nerve is the thickest and longest nerve in the body. It’s made up of five nerve roots and they come together to form the left and right sciatic nerves. Injury to the nerve itself is rare, however, the term sciatica is the word used to describe the pain that emerges from the lower back and runs down the leg. Some symptoms of sciatica are that it can cause muscle weakness, numbness in your leg, or unpleasant pins and needle sensations in your foot, toes, and leg.

The pain feels like shooting and sharp jolts of pain for most people. On the other hand, some have described it as a stabbing or burning sensation. You’ll find that the pain either comes and goes or that it’s more of a constant pain. You’re likely to feel the most pain in your leg versus your lower back. You may experience more pain with sudden movements of the body such as a sneeze or cough. It typically impacts one leg at a time but can occur in both. Furthermore, it may come on gradually such as with arthritis, or suddenly like with a disk herniation.

How Common is the Condition?

You might also be wondering how common sciatica is overall and if you’re someone who has it or may develop it one day. Generally speaking, it’s a quite common complaint from people. Back pain is a very frequent reason that someone might visit a chiropractor in the first place. If you’ve been diagnosed with sciatica then the good news is that the pain can go away over time with self-care treatments and chiropractic care. It’s unlikely that you’ll require surgery if you stick to trying to reduce and alleviate the pain.

Risk Factors for Sciatica

Another matter to cover is who is at greater risk of having it and what are the risk factors. Having a previous injury or being overweight are some of the greatest risk factors for sciatica. In addition, normal aging and lacking a strong “core” put you at risk as well. It may also be that you have a very physical or demanding job or that you don’t have the proper posture in the weight room. A few other risk factors for developing sciatica include smoking, having a sedentary lifestyle, having osteoarthritis, and having diabetes can also come into play. Overall poor health and sleep problems can also put you at risk for developing sciatica.

Causes of Sciatica

There are several medical conditions that can cause sciatica. One of these is that you experience a herniated or slipped disk. It’s the most common cause and this herniated disk can press on the sciatic nerve. Other causes include degenerative disk disease which is the wearing down of disks or spinal stenosis which is the abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal. Spondylolisthesis, osteoarthritis, trauma, and tumors can also contribute to sciatica forming in the body. Symptoms you may experience with sciatica include numbness or weakness in your lower back, moderate to severe pain in your lower back, pins and needles feeling in your legs, or loss of bowel and bladder control.

Basics of Chiropractic Care

When exploring the relationship between sciatica and going to the chiropractor to treat it, it’s important to first begin by reviewing the basics of chiropractic care. Spine manipulation by a licensed chiropractor is an ideal alternative method to improving sciatic pain. It’s all about being able to relieve the pain using spinal manipulation and additional manual therapies. The chiropractor must have a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and licensure in the state they work.

Overall, chiropractic care falls into the holistic approach within healthcare. It’s not a focus on one specific area of your pain but is care for your entire body. Therefore, you’ll discover that a chiropractor not only will ask you about your pain at your first appointment but also about your health history in general. They will take this information to develop a specialized treatment plan just for you. X-Rays might also be taken to get a better idea of what’s causing your pain. For instance, they may be able to quickly see that your spine is narrowed and in turn pinching your sciatic nerve.

The treatment you receive will involve some stretching as well as the chiropractor applying controlled pressure to your joints. You’ll not only attend appointments to help heal the pain but your chiropractor will also likely assign you specific exercises that you can do at home to alleviate some of the pain. Additional ways to reduce and manage the pain may be by making changes to your lifestyle and nutrition. It may take several sessions with a chiropractor before you begin to notice any type of relief. However, in time you’ll have less pain and greater mobility and feel more like yourself again. You can trust us here at Desert Shadows Chiropractic and Wellness to provide the finest chiropractic wellness care around and improve your wellness and quality of life.  

Research & Chiropractic Care for Sciatica

It’s also important to review more details about if the research supports the use of chiropractic care for sciatica. One reason many seek this treatment is that it might be a much more appealing option than taking medication daily. It may also be true that you’ve tried other solutions without much luck such as physical therapy and medication. It’s care that’s easy to find and you don’t need a medical referral. The good news is that chiropractic care is usually safe and effective for most people. It’s worth a try if you’re someone who’s tried other treatment methods without great results and you’re in a lot of pain and discomfort.  

When to See A Chiropractor

When dealing with sciatica, you might also wonder when you should contact a chiropractor. If you have severe leg pain, numbness or muscle weakness, or sudden pain from an accident or trauma then it is likely time to seek out chiropractic care. It’s always best to get checked out and look at before the problem worsens. Notice if your symptoms have lasted more than a week and if they get worse every day.

In the case that you continue to have pain and limited mobility then it may be time to contact a licensed chiropractor. You may be asked to come in once or twice per week initially and then reduce the number of visits weekly after that. It all depends on how intense the pain is and if a few visits are able to make a significant impact and reduce the amount of pain you’re in.

Prevention

While you can’t always prevent sciatica, there are some tips and ways to protect your back and minimize your chances. They are as follows:

  •         Maintain proper posture when you sit: Invest in a seat that has good back support and a swivel base. Keep your knees and hips level and place a rolled towel or pillow along the small of your back.
  •         Use good body mechanics: When lifting heavy objects then you should allow your lower extremities to do the work.
  •         Exercise regularly: Pay special attention to your core muscles to keep your back strong.

Some other natural ways to help with sciatica at home are to take breaks during your workday. When you do so then you’re likely to be in less pain by the end of the day. Also, build your back strength with certain exercises and work on your back and core in particular. Perform stretches for your hips and hamstring muscles and use ice packs for up to 20 minutes at a time to relieve some pain. Furthermore, you can consider taking up yoga which will improve your strength, getting a back massage, and of course, seeing a chiropractor.

Know that you may want to also change your level and intensity of activities and rest more often, depending on how uncomfortable you are currently. However, you should also keep in mind that too much bed rest can slow the healing process and make the pain worse over time.

How We Can Help You Experience A Better Quality of Life

We are committed to helping you experience a better quality of life here at Desert Shadows Chiropractic. Our focus is on assisting you with reducing pain and managing symptoms and conditions such as sciatica. We are proud to offer the finest and best chiropractic wellness care to all patients we see. Using “state of the art” chiropractic techniques, we are able to provide advanced spinal correction. The office itself is a relaxed and comfortable space where Dr. Campo will help you feel great and live well. Consider a holistic approach that will reduce inflammation in your body and result in enhanced wellness and energy.

Our services include both human and animal chiropractic care. Our human services include:

  •         Types of Adjustments – Diversified, drop piece table & activator
  •         Mechanical Traction
  •         Electric Stimulation
  •         Ultrasound
  •         Laser Therapy
  •         Digital X-Ray
  •         Nutritional & Supplements
  •         Personal Injury
  •         Workers Comp
  •         Motor Vehicle Accidents

As far as humans go, we will help you achieve optimal health and help you better manage the pain that comes with conditions such as sciatica. We encourage you to read patient reviews and testimonials so you know what to expect and all the reasons clients continue to choose us. You can contact us by giving us a call or completing the form on our website and we will get back to you as quickly as possible. Why wait any longer to address your sciatic pain and improve your quality of life? We promise that you walk away feeling better than before and in less pain.

Conclusion

You now have a good understanding of what sciatica is, the causes and symptoms, as well as how to prevent and treat it with chiropractic care and a holistic approach. The reality is that going to the chiropractor does help with sciatica and there are apparent chiropractic benefits you’ll experience in your journey to improved health and wellness. The bottom line is that a chiropractor can help relieve the pain associated with sciatica and also enhance your quality of life in a timely manner.

We will work with you to apply spinal manipulation techniques and other natural practices to reduce the pain and pressure you’re feeling currently. There are very few risks associated with chiropractic care and it’s considered both safe and effective in treating conditions such as sciatica. You should always seek chiropractic care and not wait to be seen if you begin to experience additional pain and uncomfortable symptoms over time. 

Contact us today for more information or to set up an appointment. We’re happy to answer any questions you have and make you feel as comfortable as possible as you begin your journey to experiencing better health and less pain in the days and years ahead.