Can A Chiropractor Help With Sciatica?
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What Is Sciatica?

Sciatica isn’t actually a condition, it’s what we call the pain caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the human body and because it covers so much area, there are lots of opportunities for it to become irritated. Sciatica is usually caused by a compressed nerve in the lower spine and the pain it produces can range from rather mild to very severe. It’s estimated that up to 40 percent of people will experience sciatica at least once in their life and if you’re one of those people, you know it can be very painful and annoying.

Some people confuse general back pain with sciatica but sciatica isn’t limited to just the back. The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back, through the buttocks, and down the legs, ending just below the knee and pain can radiate from any of those areas depending on where the irritation occurs. The pain can occur at any point along the course of the sciatic nerve depending on where the irritation exists.

What Causes Sciatica?

Sciatica is commonly exacerbated by a herniated or bulging disc due to the inflammation that can occur with this injury. Inflammation and swelling result in pain, often concentrated on just one side of the body. The resulting pain can be felt as a shooting wave along the sciatic nerve. This swelling results in pain, often concentrated on just one side of the body, that comes in shooting waves along your sciatic nerve. Some of the other common causes of sciatica include spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and spondylolisthesis (when one of the lower vertebrae to slip forward onto the one beneath it).

Chiropractors are commonly treating women who are experiencing sciatica for the first time due to the increased physical stress of pregnancy. In females, the sciatic nerve passes under the uterus so as the baby grows it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve resulting in pain and discomfort. More than two-thirds of pregnant women experience lower back pain of some kind during their pregnancy and sciatica can be a cause of that pain. Sciatica is more likely to arise later in pregnancy or when the fetus is large because of the increased pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Some additional things that can cause sciatica include being overweight, not exercising on a regular basis, wearing high heels, or sleeping on a mattress that is too soft. As you can see, there are many causes of sciatica but the thing they all have in common is that they result in a trademark sciatica pain.

What Are The Symptoms Of Sciatica?

Sciatica is easily recognized by its telltale pattern where the pain radiates from the lower (lumbar) spine to the buttock and down the back of the leg all the way down to the calf. This pattern typically only appears on one side of the body and can have a tingling or burning quality to it. This pain can feel like a mild, dull pain or, when it’s more severe, like a strong painful jolt. Sciatica occurs on a spectrum from mild to severe so don’t discount your pain just because it isn’t extreme. If you are experiencing the radiating pain we described, you likely have sciatica.

Sometimes, sciatica creates numbness in the leg along the nerve and a tingling pins and needles sensation in one foot. It can be accompanied by numbness in the leg, pain while standing, difficulty breathing, and even anxiety symptoms.

Can A Chiropractor Help With Sciatica?

If heating packs and pain killers aren’t doing enough, or if you want a drug-free way to treat sciatica pain, you should see a chiropractor. Not only can a chiropractor help with sciatica by reducing the pain and improving mobility, but we can also help prevent sciatica pain from rearing it’s ugly and painful head again.

Sciatica can often be accompanied by tight and painful bands of muscles called trigger points. People with sciatica are more likely to experience these painful areas of muscles that respond very well to trigger point dry needling, soft tissue mobilization, and chiropractic adjustments. The good news is these tight muscles respond very well to deep tissue work that chiropractors provide to patients with sciatica.

Sciatica varies dramatically from person to person so we take a very personalized approach to treating it. Many of our patients that come to us with sciatica pain are able to find instant relief with dry needling. By placing needles into and around the trigger points we’re able to release the tension and reduce the pain. While the name may sound intimidating or painful, dry needling causes minimal discomfort if any. Our patients compare dry needling's effectiveness to that of multiple deep tissue massages, but in a fraction of the time.

If you have sciatica pain treat the source of the pain with the multiple tools we have available at our office such as dry needling, soft tissue release, physical therapy, and chiropractic adjustments. Click here to schedule your chiropractic appointment to get drug-free relief from your sciatica pain!