Sciatica is a condition where the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed and compressed. There are many causes for this pain, including muscle spasms in the back and leg, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, or bone spurs near the spine. Sciatica can range from mildly uncomfortable to completely debilitating.
The most common symptom of sciatica is lower back pain that radiates down one leg to the toes. Other manifestations include:
- tingling, numbness, or weakness in your feet or legs;
- sharp shooting pains running down either side of your buttocks and thigh;
- difficulty sitting still because you feel like you have to move constantly because it feels so good when movement occurs; and
- swelling around your hips, lower back, butt.
Chiropractic care is a successful treatment intervention to address the cause and symptoms of sciatica. O’Dell Family Chiropractic values each patient’s life and experience. The clinic received compelling feedback from the current and previous clients experiencing lower back pain. However, the clinic is not limited to treating sciatica. Consult with Dr. Norman O’Dell and find out the best treatment for you.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a debilitating condition that more often than not, affects the lower back. Sciatic pain and paresthesias in the distribution of the sciatic nerve are worsened with twisting, bending, or coughing. The standard medical intervention prescribed by physicians is a combination of analgesics and NSAIDs. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs address the inflammation caused by sciatica. Despite being effective in managing pain, medications only do much. They might even mask the symptoms of your actual health condition.
Sciatica is a temporary condition that may be caused by various illnesses. One of the most common causes in adults is intervertebral disc herniation, which could occur from aging or injury to the back and spine regions. Other potential contributors include spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis. Both of which are misalignments during vertebrae growths with symptoms including leg pain and numbness/tingling sensations felt through one foot up to their lower extremities.
Sciatica is a condition that can be diagnosed with an examination, but it does not always have enough symptoms. The usual manifestation of sciatica begins by experiencing back pain, thighs, and feet. The painful sensations are due to the compression of inflamed sciatic nerves on your spinal cord. In some cases, people who have sciatica also experience shooting pains down their legs.
As medications work to treat the symptoms, the main problem is never addressed through pharmacological interventions alone. It is vital to consult with a professional chiropractor like Dr. O’Dell to diagnose and treat your condition correctly and with utmost care.
Spinal Adjustments for Sciatica
Essentially, chiropractic treatment of lower back pain is a manual procedure that involves applying thrusts to an abnormal vertebra to improve the functionality and reduce nerve irritability. This type of manipulation has been shown in literature as being beneficial for many people who experience low-back pain.
To reduce the subluxation, chiropractic treatments are practical with goals of increasing range of motion and reducing nerve irritability. The hope is that this treatment can improve function as well.
Chiropractic mobilization, on one hand, is the process of manipulating, moving, and stretching muscles to increase mobility.
Though joint cavitation or cracking doesn’t always occur, it can happen as a result of significant muscle spasms. When this happens, the chiropractor may need to apply ice before attempting an adjustment and perform electrical stimulation and massage beforehand to relax them enough for treatment.
However, since there are people who are hesitant to receive a spinal adjustment, the following are other non-invasive chiropractic care that can treat sciatica:
Massage Therapy
A massage therapist may work on your muscles, joints, and deep connective tissue with a variety of techniques. For example, Deep Tissue Massage can help release muscle tension in larger body areas such as the back or legs. Trigger Point Therapy is used to address the source of pain that begins from an injury-inflamed area like bursitis or tendinitis, for instance.
Studies show that about 54% of healthcare providers recommend their patients to receive a therapy session as part of their care. Massage can improve circulation and ease the pain while also increasing endorphin levels in your body. Endorphins are internal opioid neuropeptides produced by our central nervous system and pituitary glands. When you exercise, it’s common for these hormones to be released, which triggers an uplifting feeling within us too.
Ergonomics Counseling
Poor office ergonomics can be a significant contributing factor to the development of sciatica. Further, if you already have sciatica, poor workstation ergonomics is likely to make it worse. This should come as no surprise because improper posture places undue stress on your spine and causes muscle spasms in the back which may lead to even more pain than before!
It’s always best to get an assessment by a chiropractor. O’Dell Family Chiropractic can help you with rehabilitation plans and hands-on treatment that can alleviate your symptoms.
First, our chiropractors will perform ergonomics assessments to know which points of improvement should be prioritized. Proper posture prevents additional injury and addresses the root of the problem holistically.
TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)
TENS is a technique, which utilizes electrical stimulation to the skin. It has been extensively used in pain management for years now, and it can help alleviate various types of chronic pains. TENS also helps reduce analgesic use following cesarean section, orthopedic or thoracic operations, and mixed surgical procedures. Besides, The American Physical Therapy Association defines TENS by saying that this therapy provides relief from different kinds of hurts via applying electricity to your body’s surface. Experiments have shown that through using TENS devices, you could be able to decrease post-surgical recovery time significantly.
The outcome of the study showed significant improvement in sciatic pain after ten weeks of TENS application. It also shows that TENS also achieved varied pain relief to control subjects but not enough to compare the effect of TENS on the test group. This has shown how useful it is for managing injection-related nerve pain, as demonstrated from the outcomes of the current study.
The Approach of O’Dell Family Chiropractic for Sciatica
We cannot be anything but excited about the recent addition of chiropractic care to Rochester and Webster. Residents are delighted with their new ability to relieve sciatica through this convenient means, an office conveniently located in both places for quick and efficient treatment.
O’Dell Family Chiropractic has two offices running. We begin evaluating your condition using x-rays which will help determine what is causing you pain. It could very well be that your nerve has been compromised from where it originates near the base of your spine. Thus, giving you some lower back or hip joint pains.
Our chiropractors provide gentle spinal manipulations that release pressure on the sciatic nerve, giving you relief from pain. However, your body needs to learn how to maintain healthy alignment. It is why we offer a set of treatments for longer-lasting results. You’ll see a gradual lessening in discomfort as time goes by with our help.
Our chiropractors at O’Dell Family Chiropractic may be the best resource for you to help your spine return back to health. We can assist with spinal decompression, which helps increase space between vertebrae. These spaces are pinching against your sciatic nerve, causing pain in different parts of the body.
Our approach extends beyond just providing relief from this disorder by educating our patients on how physical activity is essential when recovering. It strengthens core muscles and keeps them balanced. As a result, we show people how they should maintain a healthy posture while sitting, sleeping, or moving, so their spines don’t become misaligned again.
