Pain is one of the most common reasons why people seek the care of a professional healthcare provider. One of the most common types of pain that people experience is back pain. Back pain can be caused by a number of issues including a herniated disc, a pinched nerve, or even sciatica.
If you suffer from sciatica, it can be difficult for you to get out of bed in the morning, drive a car, or even sit down at a desk to do some work. Fortunately, this is not something you have to go through on your own. Chiropractors have several treatments to be able to help you with your sciatic pain.
What is sciatica, and how can a chiropractor help you?
WHAT IS SCIATICA?
Sciatica is one of the most common causes of back pain, and it is more common in people who are older. Sciatica takes place when inflammation of the sciatic nerve leads to chronic back pain.
The sciatic nerve is one of the biggest nerves in the body. It starts in the back and travels down to the pelvis. Then, it divides into two separate nerves that pass down each leg. Because it is one of the largest nerves in the body, it carries out a wide variety of motor and sensory functions. Unfortunately, this also means that it can be compressed at any point along its journey, which contributes to sciatica.
If the sciatic nerve gets pinched, it becomes irritated and inflamed. This is where sciatica comes from. If you believe you have sciatica, what are a few symptoms you might notice?
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SCIATICA?
Similar to other medical conditions, the symptoms of sciatica can vary significantly in terms of their scope and severity, depending on how severe the inflammation is.
Some of the most common symptoms of sciatica include:
- Pain in the lower back, buttocks, and legs that comes and goes in severity.
- Feelings of numbness and weakness in your buttocks, legs, feet, and lower back.
- Pain that gets worse when you try to move.
- Pain that is so severe that you have a difficult time moving your back or legs at all.
- Feelings of pins and needles in your lower back, legs, ankles, feet, or toes.
Again, some people may experience all of the symptoms above, while other people may not experience very many of these symptoms at all. It is important for anyone experiencing these symptoms to reach out to a healthcare professional who can help them.
There are ways people can treat the symptoms of sciatic nerve pain at home. For example, alternating therapy using heat and ice can provide short-term pain relief; however, the pain usually returns when the therapy wears off. That is why it is a good idea to reach out to a chiropractor.
HOW CAN A CHIROPRACTOR HELP YOU?
If you are experiencing pain in your back, you should reach out to a chiropractor who can help you. A chiropractor has specialized training to help people recover from back pain, including sciatica.
There are several expectations you should have when you visit the chiropractor for help with sciatica. First, the chiropractor will sit down and talk with you personally to learn more about where your pain is coming from.
Then the chiropractor will conduct a complete physical exam to take a look at the alignment of the spine. Sometimes, issues with the vertebrae in the back or spinal disc injury can contribute to a pinched sciatic nerve, leading to sciatica pain.
Then, there are several treatment options a chiropractor might use.
ADJUSTMENTS
The mainstay treatment option that a chiropractor will use is adjustments. This is a series of controlled thrusts that are designed to put the vertebrae in your back in proper alignment. If the vertebrae are not aligned properly, they could pinch the sciatic nerve, leading to sciatica. A chiropractor can use adjustments to minimize complications and side effects while also properly aligning the spine. This cannot only treat the symptoms on the surface but also prevent them from coming back.
CORRECTIVE EXERCISES
Next, a chiropractor can also use corrective exercises. These exercises are designed to provide more muscle strength around the lower back. By providing more support to the vertebrae in the spinal column, it might be possible to alleviate stress on the sciatic nerve. This is important for treating causes of back pain while also preventing future injuries from taking place.
MASSAGE AND ACUPUNCTURE
The goal of a chiropractor is to take a well-rounded approach to the treatment of back pain, including sciatica. Massage therapy and acupuncture can be helpful. Massage therapy is helpful because it can address acute areas of inflammation. A massage therapist can remove knots in the muscles, alleviating stress on the bones, ligaments, and tendons. This can be an effective treatment option for sciatica.
Acupuncture can also provide many of the same benefits. By targeting trigger points, it is possible to alleviate stress on certain parts of the body, treating sciatica nerve pain.
A chiropractor will work with you personally to develop a well-rounded treatment plan to address all possible causes of sciatica. The goal is to not only help you get better but keep you feeling better.
HOW LONG DOES THE TREATMENT PROCESS TAKE?
Individuals who suffer from sciatica usually want to recover as quickly as possible. Therefore, many people wonder how long the treatment process will take. It depends on how severe the sciatic nerve pain is. There are some people who may recover from sciatic nerve pain within a few days or weeks after the treatment process begins.
On the other hand, people with severe sciatica could have a treatment plan that lasts for several months to even years. This is something that is handled on a case-by-case basis. The most important thing for people to remember is that the sooner they reach out to a chiropractor, the faster they can get on the road to recovery. That is where we can help you.
COUNT ON THE TEAM FROM SEMINOLE CHIROPRACTIC CENTER TO HELP YOU IN FLORIDA
If you are looking for help with sciatica in the local Central Florida area, it would be our pleasure to help you. We are Seminole Chiropractic Center, and it is our pleasure to help you with all causes of back pain, including sciatica.
Dr. Jenkins will work with you personally to customize a treatment plan to meet your needs. If you are tired of dealing with sciatica, count on us to assist you. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment, and learn more about how we can help you treat your back pain!