Chiropractic Sciatica Treatment
Sciatica Causes and Treatment
What causes sciatica?
Sciatica can be extremely debilitating and make you feel much older than you are. Sciatica is actually caused by irritation the sciatic nerve. This is normally caused by an inflammatory condition from pressure being applied to the nerve through a prolapsed disc, nerve impingement, overly tight muscles, a misaligned vertebrae, rotated or misaligned pelvis, sacro-iliac joint. The sciatic nerve branches out from the lower back all the way into the feet. It is both the thickest and longest nerve in the body. Whilst everyone prefers to pick-out a single culprit there is usually a combination of some sort of structural misalignment in combination with other factors at play.
How can sciatica be diagnosed?
To diagnose sciatica properly it’s crucial that we conduct a full initial chiropractic check-up. During this initial assessment we can take measurements of your posture, do a manual palpation to identify mechanical imbalances, take posture pictures and x-rays (if clinically required), check inflammation levels along each segment of your spine and conduct some neurological tests to narrow the issue down to very specific variables.
During the follow up visit we discuss the results of the tests, go over the images and perform a root cause diagnosis.
What are the symptoms of sciatica?
Some of the common symptoms of sciatica are:
Lower back pain that radiates down
Pain in the buttocks or leg
Burning or tingling down the leg
Extreme stiffness that makes it hard to lift your leg
Muscle weakness with restricted mobility
A feeling of numbness and loss of sensation in the legs
Constant pain on one side of the buttocks
A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up
Hip pain
Usually sciatica is felt more on one side of the body but some people experience pain on both sides. In some cases the person suffering from sciatic nerve pain can clearly feel pain alongside the entire path of the sciatic nerve.
Effective sciatica treatment
Chiropractic has been recognised as a natural and effective treatment for sciatica. The underlying principles is that by restoring proper alignment the imbalance that was causing pressure on the sciatic nerve is being corrected allowing the body to recover. By properly aligning the spine and pelvis the muscles and joints can balance in a more natural way, restoring proper function, reducing inflammation and increasing mobility.
On the other side of the equation removing the cause of nerve impingement restores the flow of brain-body communication to the affected parts which helps the body to express health.
Sciatica FAQ
How do you treat sciatica?
We use corrective chiropractic adjustments to bring the pelvis and spinal segments back into alignment and remove the cause of nerve impingement. There are approximately 90 or so different techniques we can choose from. Our experienced chiropractors will choose a combination and sequence that is best suited for your particular case based on their clinical experience.
Are the effects permanent?
In most cases our clients stay well once their sciatic pain has been addressed. As you go through the corrective process you will learn better ways for doing day-to-day activities, setting up your workspace and looking after your posture. Most importantly you’ve been aligned and stabilised so that your posture is now back to a healthy range.
Just like you would look after your teeth after completing a dental plan, you want to look after your spine the same way. Our experienced chiropractors can discuss how you can go about that and guide you to the right type of exercise and stretches to do. If you bring some pictures of your work-space they will even advise how you can optimise it.
Will this be covered by my health insurance?
We work with all major health insurance providers. In order to qualify you typically have to go through the initial assessment first as this helps establish if chiropractic treatment is right for you. After that our front desk can assist you with the requirements and particulars of your insurance. In most cases they can walk you through the steps you have to take.
Do you have an emergency service available?
Please ring the clinic and request this. We’re open 8am till 8pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 2pm on Saturday. Whilst we don’t have specific slots available for emergencies we will always do our very best to try and accommodate you.