Sciatica is caused by the sciatic nerve. It is an irritation of a sciatic nerve which is the biggest and longest nerve in the human body. This nerve starts from the lower back and ends on the toes. Some of the major symptoms are pain, numbness, weakness, burning and odd sensations. Back pain is also one of the symptoms of sciatica, but it doesn’t appear in all cases. The symptoms can be on one or both sides, and they can be experienced in buttock and travel towards leg to the foot. The intensity of sciatica pain can be low, moderate or strong. In most cases, there is a need for Sciatica Treatment which can really help in soothing and alleviating symptoms and also returning the body to normal.
The primary cause of sciatica is compression of sciatic nerve, but it can be caused due to other medical conditions like lumbar spine subluxations, herniated or bulging discs (slipped discs), pregnancy and childbirth, tumors, and non-spinal disorders such as diabetes, constipation, or sitting on one’s back pocket wallet. Piriformis syndrome is one of the common causes of sciatica. Piriformis syndrome is caused by the piriformis muscle which is located in the lower part of the spine, connects to the thighbone, and assists in hip rotation. The sciatic nerve is located under the piriformis muscle and if this muscle is damaged due to any mishap the sciatic nerve will be also damage and cause sciatica.
The sciatic nerve can also be damaged in the pelvis at the sacroiliac joint. If your hip or pelvis is damaged due to any mishap or if you have ever broken a leg bone or had a major foot, ankle, knee or hip joint injury or surgery. You may have a rotated pelvis due to these reasons which can cause compressing in sciatic nerve. Sciatica can cause many severe disorders like sensory loss, paralysis of a single limb or group of muscles, and insomnia.
While sciatica can arise from various underlying causes, certain lifestyle factors and habits can exacerbate the condition or increase the risk of experiencing flare-ups. One often-overlooked trigger is the diet. Certain foods have been associated with inflammation, which can aggravate the already compressed or irritated sciatic nerve. Foods high in inflammatory compounds, such as processed meats, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats, can contribute to increased inflammation and worsen sciatic nerve compression. Hence, it is important to read and Discover foods to avoid with sciatica pain. This way, individuals can potentially reduce the severity of their sciatica symptoms to some extent.
A proper diagnosis of sciatica is very important to understand the effective treatment for you. As some conditions can cause sciatica so it is essential to determine which condition is causing sciatica. Physical examination and review of medical history is the first step towards diagnosis process. Next step involves diagnostic testing which helps to detect possible contraindications to spinal adjustments. These diagnostic tests include an x-ray, MRI, CT scan, and electrodiagnostic tests.
Chiropractic treatment is one of the latest treatments of sciatica which helps the body’s potential to heal itself. This treatment is based on a scientific principle that restricted spinal movement leads to pain and reduced function and performance. The treatment targets the spine and heals the problems in it. The chiropractic treatment doesn’t involve any surgery procedure. It is a non-surgical and drug-free treatment. You can learn more about chiropractors here if these sorts of treatments interest you.
There are some chiropractic therapies available but the therapy provided for each patient depends on the cause of sciatica. As there are many different causes of sciatica so, each cause is treated with a different therapy. Like, if you consult chiropractors for back pain they would be able to give you a comprehensive plan of your treatment which may include several different treatments and therapies such as ice/heat therapies, ultrasound, TENS, and spinal adjustments (sometimes called spinal manipulation). There is a proper method to treat sciatica through these treatments. The details of these procedures are given below:
Ice and heat therapy
This therapy involves an ice pack which is used to reduce inflammation in the sciatic nerve. The patient will feel relief from pain with the ice pack therapy. Heat is also applied to the patient’s body which helps to increase the blood flow to this area. Ice and heat therapy can be used alternatively during the whole treatment which can give positive results in reducing pain and inflammation.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound emits sound waves of high intensity. The sound waves emitted from ultrasound machine create a gentle heat that penetrates deep into tissues. Ultrasound can be used as a treatment of sciatica as they are good for circulation and muscles. It helps to reduce muscle problems caused by sciatica like muscle spasms, cramping, swelling, stiffness, and pain it also increases circulation.
TENS unit
TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. It is a small box like a machine which is battery-powered and portable muscle stimulating. The machine provides variable intensities of electrical current which help to control acute pain and reduce muscle spasms. There are many large versions of TENS units available which can be used at home or clinic. These units are used by chiropractors, physical therapists, and other rehab professionals to treat sciatica patient. It is one of the effective treatments in chiropractor treatment.
Adjustments (Spinal Manipulation)
The major focus of chiropractic care is spinal adjustment. The cause of sciatica is in the spine so spinal adjustment can treat sciatica very well. In order to restore misaligned vertebral bodies to their proper position in the spinal column, chiropractors adopt some manipulation frees restricted movement of the spine. Inflammation, muscle spasm, pain, and other symptoms related to sciatica are caused by nerve compression, and it can be reduced by spinal adjustment, but the adjustment should be pain-free. Spinal adjustment and manipulation are considered as a safe and effective treatment.
There are many chiropractic clinics available for the treatment of sciatica worldwide. Fornham chiropractic clinic in Bury St Edmunds is one of the clinics for chiropractic treatment of sciatica and other diseases. The clinic offers some therapies including Massage, Reflexology, and Pilates that helps you achieve your treatment goals in the shortest time. A set of highly qualified chiropractors is always there to assist you at the clinic. The clinic has all the latest technologies to treat sciatica patients. The clinic is wellness based center, so they offer some facilities to the patients at very low rates. The chiropractors are trained to use the best techniques for the treatment, but you will not be charged any extra for these specialized treatments such as FAKTR, ART, Kinesio Taping, or dry needling.
Sometimes the reason behind sciatica is some disorders which are beyond the scope of chiropractic practice. If a chiropractor feels that the patient’s disorder cannot be treated by the chiropractic treatment, he may refer the patient to another type of doctor.