Posted by Rupert Clements of C1 Chiropractic Health Centre.
Sciatica needs chiropractic care, and possibly some other options, to reduce pain in your back and legs.
Right, that’s it, I don’t want to hear the cry of: “I have sciatica” ever again unless it has been diagnosed by someone who as a clue. I’m fed up with having to disabuse patients of this rotten diagnosis; it’s not far off “I have lumbago”. As a chiropractor here in Bristol, we often have patients coming in for treatment with low-back pain (LBP) and pain running down the back of their legs. Quite often this has nothing to do with the sciatic nerve and is still called sciatica.
The anatomy: The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest single nerve in your body. It branches off at the base of the spine and runs down each side of your pelvic area, supplying nerve impulses to your gluteal region (butt), legs and feet.
The pain: If you've ever experienced sciatica, you know how debilitating this pain can be. I've seen patients, who could barely walk, couldn't bend over or even stand. With good care you will be back to your normal self within 2-3 weeks.
The solution: Chiropractic
oh, and try: massage therapy. I have patients who I see in my clinic that need gentle massage for their sciatic pain. We use various forms of massage to relax patient's muscles, improve blood flow, and most important, the release of endorphins in the body that act as natural pain relievers.
Last but not least, a highly effective technique for treatment that is being used more and more is acupuncture. A qualified and trained acupuncturist such as our great Zak can provide relief from back pain by simply using thin needles inserted in the area where you feel discomfort
There is no guarantee that this or any other combination of treatments will totally eliminate sciatica from reoccurring but if you follow the advice of your chiropractor and seek help early, you should prevent this from happening again in the future.
For more information on treatments and alternatives to protect your back, go to www.c1healthcentre.co.uk or contact me personally.
Rupert
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The Truth:
The causes of sciatica must be treated on a patient by patient basis. Because of the many conditions that can compress nerve roots and cause sciatica, one patient’s treatment options may be very different than those of another.
A combination of treatment options is often the most effective course, and many patients will try some combination of the following treatment options:
Physical therapy treatments such as Chiropractic can help relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Alternating heat therapy and ice massage therapy can help to relieve acute pain from sciatica.
Anti-inflammatory medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, i.e. ibuprofen, naproxen or cox-2 inhibitors) or oral steroids may be used to help relieve inflammation.
Epidural steroid injections can reduce inflammation around the nerve root and the associated low back pain.
To help control the low back pain and leg pain while undergoing other conservative treatments, patients may take pain medications.
Surgery may also be considered as a treatment option, usually (but not always) following a course of conservative treatments.
It is important to note that what works for one patient may not work for another, even if they have the same back problems.
For example, a patient who has sciatica from a herniated disc may not find relief from conservative treatments and then will choose to undergo lumbar surgery. Another patient with sciatica from a similar type of herniated disc may find sufficient low back pain and leg pain relief through conservative treatments, including physical therapy, heat and ice therapy, injections and/or medications.