Relief From Sciatica

Relief from Sciatica

If there’s an irritation of your sciatic nerve, you’ll be the first to know!  Pain is the language your body speaks when something needs immediate attention. Most sufferers of sciatica experience a sharp pain in the hip or buttocks, which radiates down one or both legs.  When this occurs, the attention you need is chiropractic care.

You may feel alone in your plight, but sciatica is actually the sixth most commonly diagnosed chiropractic condition!  Sciatica, (pronounced sy-á-ti-ka), is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve.  The term refers to any pain in the areas supplied by the sciatic nerve or nerve roots.  These areas include the hip, buttocks, back or side of the thigh, calf, ankle, and foot. People suffering from sciatica often apply pressure to the hip or buttock to relieve the excruciating pain. Many patients that we see with true sciatica can hardly walk or stand upright due to stiffness, pain and weakness!

The good news is that you don’t have to suffer from sciatica. Chiropractic care can usually correct the underlying causes of this painful condition. Why It Hurts from Hip to Toe! The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the entire body.  The most important function of the sciatic nerve is to provide movement and sensation to the legs. So is sciatica a leg problem or a back problem?  It’s actually both!  The sciatic nerve is formed from five nerve roots that each contains thou-sands of nerve cells. These nerve roots exit from the lower spinal column.  Deep within the hip area, they join to form the sciatic nerve, which travels down each leg.  The sciatic nerve then branches off into dozens of smaller nerves that reach the muscles and joints, from the hips to the toes.

The pinching of nerves caused by a spinal misalignment can eventually cause unbearable pain.  Regular chiropractic adjustments will help keep your spine healthy and can often prevent a sciatic attack from returning!

The Silent “Sting”

Early signs of sciatica are often not recognized.  Most people tend to ignore the warning signs, such as, mild pain, numbness, tingling  or the leg that “gives way” for no apparent reason.  Other symptoms may include “hot” or “cold” spots affecting various areas of the low back, buttocks and legs. Such signs can be ignored for years and then a wrong move turns into violent pain!  The pain may start out as a dull ache and progress to a sharp shooting pain.  The discomfort may involve a specific area or the entire leg.  Intense back pain is seldom felt with sciatica, however, a dull backache often precedes it.

Common Causes

Sciatica tends to occur during middle age, although it is not uncommon to see it in younger and older patients.  The sciatica sufferer usually has a history of previous low back problems.  This suggests that the “cause” is most often from a slow wear and tear process.  Sciatica can also occur when a damaged disc presses on one of the nerve roots from the sciatic nerve.  Sometimes it can be traced to a specific injury or accident.  Many female patients report bouts of sciatica following childbirth.

There are other possible causes of sciatica.  Occasionally, it can be triggered by conditions such as diabetes,   alcoholism,   or    infections.  Sciatica can also flare up with the presence of a cold or flu, stress, and certain weather conditions, such as barometric pressure changes. The key is to maintain spinal integrity so your body can better “adapt” to changing environments.  That’s why routine chiropractic exams are important.

Why You Need Chiropractic NOW!

Chiropractic can remove the interference that inhibits your body’s natural healing process.  By allowing the nervous system to transmit the proper flow of energy to the affected area, chiropractic can restore strength and mobility. The longer sciatica goes untreated the greater the risk of permanent injury to the nerve and the tissues it supplies.  Muscles can actually waste away and become rigid.  The chances of your recovery are always greater with early and consistent chiropractic care. The five most dangerous words in reference to your health are: MAYBE IT WILL GO AWAY.  Without prompt attention, there’s a good chance your sciatica won’t just vanish.  If the pain lifts temporarily and the problem isn’t corrected, it’s likely to return.   Sciatica can greatly interference with simple daily tasks, such as getting dressed, moving in and out of a car, sleeping, walking and exercising.

Even lifting lightweight items, such as a carton of milk or a purse, can cause pain when your sciatic nerve is irritated! In addition, poor posture associated with sciatica detracts not only from one’s appearance but can also lead to other health problems.  Don’t let this condition rob you from a full, active life.  The time to seek help is NOW!

Get Ready for Relief!

Whether caused by misaligned vertebrae, disc problems, or muscle spasms, chiropractic treatment has successfully relieved sciatica pain for thousands of patients. When a debilitating sciatica pain hits, you may find yourself desperate for relief.  You may have been told that drugs or surgery were your only options.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say that more than half of all disc surgeries are unnecessary!  Arthur White M.D., author of Conservative Care of Low Back Pain, writes that conservative care (non-drug, non-surgical) is the only kind of treatment that will be needed for 99% of those with back pain.  While medications used to treat sciatica offer temporary relief, they do not correct the cause of the problem.

Chiropractors don’t treat symptoms.  Our role is to identify and correct the underlying causes of you condition.  The chiropractic focus is on prevention and a conservative program of corrective treatment. Chiropractors receive extensive training on the entire nervous, muscular and skeletal systems.  So as you can see, we’re not just “back” doctors!  If you have pain that radiates down your legs, or that settles in you low back, hip or buttocks areas, don’t delay in receiving the treatment you need.