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How Gentle Adjustments Can Treat Your Sciatica
As many as 40% of Americans have sciatica at some point during their lifetimes, with symptoms ranging from dull, aching low back pain to sharp, electricity-like pain that can extend into their legs. Without proper treatment, sciatica can lead to permanent nerve damage, along with loss of coordination, balance issues, and incontinence in the worst cases.
Sciatica can be notoriously difficult to treat with traditional therapies, like medication. Fortunately, chiropractic adjustments can be a highly effective option not only for relieving current symptoms, but also for preventing symptoms in the future.
As a leading chiropractic practice in Newark, Delaware, Anodyne Pain & Wellness Solutions recommends regular chiropractic adjustments for sciatica and other types of low back pain. In this post, Andrew Leitzke, DC, explains how this patient-centered therapy work and how it could help you find relief for your painful sciatica symptoms.
Quick facts about sciatica
Your spine is composed of a series of bones (vertebrae), forming joints that are separated by spongy discs. The bones form your spinal column, a narrow channel that serves as a conduit for all the nerves in your body.
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, traveling the length of your spine and exiting in your lower back. There, the nerve divides into two branches — one that travels down the right leg and one that travels down the left leg.
Sciatica typically happens when the sciatic nerve is “pinched” or compressed where it exits the spine. Often, this “pinching” or compression happens when a disc “slips” or moves out of its normal position.
Disc problems can happen for different reasons, including:
- Age-related changes in the spine
- Wear-and-tear
- Repetitive movements
- Heavy lifting
- Obesity
- Arthritis or bone spurs
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Poor posture
However, though disc problems are a common trigger for sciatica, they aren’t the only cause.
Some people have sciatica due to:
- Problems with a hip muscle (a condition called piriformis syndrome)
- Abscesses or cysts
- Muscle spasms
- Tumors
- Nerve or muscular syndromes or disease
Dr. Leitzke performs an evaluation of your spine, along with a review of your medical history and your symptoms, before recommending treatment.
Chiropractic adjustments for nagging low back pain
Chiropractic adjustments can provide long-term, meaningful relief for many people with sciatica. Compared to traditional treatments, like medication, chiropractic adjustments offer a major benefit: They’re completely customizable based on each patient’s unique needs.
Chiropractic adjustment helps relieve nerve compression and irritation in several ways. First, adjustments help by gently coaxing your spine into its ideal alignment, restoring normal disc location, and relieving nerve impingement.
Adjustments also improve circulation in the area, promoting healing, supporting disc and nerve health, and removing toxins produced during the inflammatory process. Your treatment will also focus on improving spinal joint function while relieving muscle tension and promoting normal movement in your lower back.
Dr. Leitzke also recommends at-home stretches and exercises to supplement in-office adjustments based on your lifestyle needs and other factors. Regular chiropractic visits help maintain spine health and reduce your risk of having sciatica in the future.
Find relief for your sciatica symptoms
Sciatica pain can happen at any time of day or night, interfering with many activities, including sleep. To learn how chiropractic adjustments can help you find relief, book an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Anodyne Pain & Wellness Solutions today.