Sciatica: Should You See A Chiropractor?
Sciatica can cause pain, numbness or weakness in your hip, buttock and leg. Chiropractic and sciatica is a good match because chiropractic care can address many of the issues that can cause sciatic pain. Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed, inflamed or irritated.
The sciatic nerve is the longest (and the largest) nerve in your entire body. It starts at the spinal column down in your pelvis and runs down each leg. This nerve can be as wide as your thumb near its point of origin (making it easy to be compressed). As the sciatic nerve progresses downward, it breaks into five branches that serve your thigh, knee, calf, ankle and foot. From this reason alone, it’s easy to see why it can be so incapacitating when this nerve is compressed.
Causes of Sciatica Misalignment (subluxation) of the spine Pelvic misalignment Slipped or herniated disc from a fall or accident Tumors Diabetes Arthritis Vitamin deficiencies Pregnancy
Simple movements are often the triggers for sciatic pain. Simply sitting, standing, walking, lifting, sneezing or bending may be enough to send sharp pains down your leg from your hip. A chiropractor can treat many sciatica cases successfully.
Many people don’t realize that sciatica often begins with lower back pain. They may feel these aches and pains for a few weeks before the true sciatica pain begins. They may feel pain, numbness or weakness start in the hip and move through the buttocks, then down through the thigh, the calf and finally the foot. The pain can be as minimal as a dull ache or it can be a hot, shooting pain. Pain can last for a few minutes, a few hours or several days or weeks. The pain going down the leg eventually becomes worse and more severe than that in the lower back. Those who have suffered sciatica for a long time will realize the pain will eventually localize in the buttocks and thighs. If left untreated, the nerve may sustain permanent damage and the calf muscle may begin to deteriorate.
Most people will wait until the sciatica pain is unbearable before they seek the aid of a chiropractor. This can cause you permanent nerve damage. If you contact a chiropractor when you first feel sciatic pain, there is a much better chance of relieving the pain and fixing the cause. A chiropractor will take your medical history when you first meet, and then do a physical exam. You may need x-rays. The chiropractor will discuss the results and recommended treatment with you.
Chiropractic adjustments to your spine may be done to help correct any misalignments. These adjustments help remove any vertebrae that may be pinching the sciatic nerve. Muscle spasms may be treated with massage. Your chiropractor may also recommend ice packs or ultrasound treatments to help relieve the symptoms first. In the majority of cases, several sessions of manual adjustments (possibly months) are adequate to relieve the problem.
Chiropractic for sciatica works well. Sciatica has a direct cause that can be determined by your chiropractor. Chiropractic can not only relieve the symptoms but remove the cause as well, so the chance of a return of the pain is significantly reduced. X-rays taken before and after treatment for sciatica have proven that chiropractic care realigned the spine and reduced the symptoms. Before you take pain medications to just cover up your symptoms, see a chiropractor if you think you may have sciatica.