What is Sciatica?
Sciatica Bottom Line:
At some point in nearly everyone’s lives, back pain will be experienced to some degree. With sciatica, you’ll definitely notice something is quite a bit different. Well, because the most intense area of pain won’t be in your back.
Sciatica most often begins with pain being felt in your buttock that extends down the leg. Typically this is experienced on just one side of the body. The pain can travel the entirety of the sciatic nerve which begins from the nerve roots in your low back and extends all the way to your foot.
That shooting pain down your leg is often caused by compression of the sciatic nerve or one or more of the other nerves exiting your spine. The amount of compression needed to elicit this pain down the leg is not much at all.
Many of us would be very surprised if we actually felt how little is needed to send the shock of pain down our leg. The tricky part is that the small amount of compression could be a variety of structures in the body.
Often times it is inflammation of a nearby structure that causes the pain or possibly tight muscles of fascial pressure. Either way, getting the inflammation under control and allowing for smooth passage of the nerves through their designated passageways is very important.
That is exactly where chiropractors and other manual therapists insert themselves into the treatment of your sciatica.
As chiropractors, we specialize in providing spinal manipulation to help with nerve function, tension, and inflammation to eliminate sciatic symptoms. Along with this spinal manipulation we educate you on ways to avoid this pain in the future and personalized exercises to combat symptoms if they do arise in the future.
The symptoms of Sciatica can oftentimes send individuals thinking that only surgery, spinal injections, or prescription medication can help their “condition”. That is far from the truth in the vast majority of cases.
Yes, the symptoms feel very severe at times, but research supports chiropractic and conservative care as an effective way to manage sciatica.
I know, it may sound too good to be true, or that we’re just saying this because we’re conservative care physicians, but research has shown that chiropractic treatment can provide as much pain relief as invasive interventions as mentioned above. If those other interventions have failed in the past, it may be time to give chiropractic a try!
Why it Matters:
Well, first let’s talk about how pain functions.
Essentially, pain is the signal telling you that something is wrong and needs attention. Regardless of the severity, the reason is the same.
So, what is sciatica pain?
Well, as we just said it’s a SIGNAL that something is wrong along the sciatic nerve.
A signal that it’s time to pay attention!
There are a lot of things that can occur in the body that can cause issues and result in pain….ergonomic stress, spinal irritation, and limitations, normal degeneration as we age, serious pathology, and traumatic events.
When the pain appears it’s usually the last thing we notice, but it is also the first thing to leave!
In order to understand how and why our non-invasive/conservative approach works so well for sciatica, it helps to know the underlying cause of the pain.
Doctor Google to the rescue! You’ve probably Googled something along the lines of “What is Sciatica?” or “What is a pinched nerve?” a time or two in your life. When a nerve is compressed or “pinched” it can be due to a disc herniation or bulge, development of bone spurs (which are completely natural aging), or even ligaments that have increased in size near the spinal joints.
No matter what the mechanism is, it’s most likely going to be causing noticeable levels of pain until you’ve taken the necessary steps to combat the inflammation and open the space up. This can be achieved by improving the motion of the surrounding spinal joints.
Yes, if you are in Midtown/Dundee Omaha and looking to get rid of the pain in your back and/or down your leg you found the right place! Let’s get your performance back to being pain-free now.
Pain is not something you have to live with, and either is settling for surgery, injections, or pain medication. We have a safer, just as effective way to handle that here at ProMove.
Let’s Recap!
So, what is sciatica?
Sciatica is a set of very specific symptoms signaling to you via pain that there is a disturbance happening in the sciatic nerve. There is an underlying condition causing this to occur. Chiropractic care and other conservative approaches have been shown to be just as effective as other more costly, and potentially harmful alternatives.
Top research publications have shown that people struggling with sciatica pain can get fantastic results with chiropractic care.
In fact, in one recent study, researchers found that 60% of participants with symptomatic cases of sciatica benefitted from chiropractic adjustments to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention (again, without any of the risks!).
And what many may not think of with chiropractic is what happens beyond just the adjustments…exercise, rehab, manual therapy, and other safe ways to achieve results.
We do all of that at ProMove to help assure you long-term results!
Next Steps:
Well, if you or anyone you know is being bothered by similar symptoms there’s no doubt they need assistance! If there’s a sudden onset of pain, numbness, or weakness in your legs that can be a scary encounter. In those instances, listen to the body’s signal and seek help.
Dr. Sealey would love to help you get started on the journey of decreasing your pain and improving your body’s performance today!
We have helped many people overcome sciatica and achieve a long-term, safe, recovery without the need for drugs or surgery.
Scheduling an evaluation with a performance-based chiropractor in Midtown/Dundee Omaha like ProMove is a great first step in the right direction. Even if we’re unable to help you here, we will make sure we get you to the place that can!
Sciatica is an umbrella term for a collection of symptoms, often misinterpreted as a single disorder. For this reason, it's crucial to delve deeper into the true cause of your pain, which might be stemming from any of the structures within your lumbar spine. An essential part of our approach at ProMove in Midtown/Dundee Omaha is performing a thorough assessment. This entails a detailed health history and a physical examination, where we evaluate your posture, spine mobility, nerve function, and the specific movements that provoke your symptoms.
Our goal is not just to reduce your pain but also to address the root cause of your sciatica, and in doing so, prevent future episodes. Disc herniation, for example, is a common culprit in sciatica pain. When the soft, gel-like center of a spinal disc protrudes through the tougher exterior casing, it can irritate nearby nerves and result in pain, numbness, or weakness in an arm or leg. Spinal stenosis, another common cause, is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel down the back and into your legs. But worry not! Our personalized care plans are designed with your unique needs and pain triggers in mind.
At ProMove, we don’t just chase symptoms; we aim to equip you with self-management strategies that help you regain control over your health. This can involve specific exercises to improve core strength, flexibility, and posture, nutritional advice, stress management strategies, and even workplace ergonomics guidance. As Midtown/Dundee Omaha's performance-based chiropractors, we emphasize the power of proactive healthcare. By addressing the underlying cause of your pain and enhancing your body's natural healing abilities, we help you reclaim your life from sciatica and enjoy lasting relief.
So, if you’re tired of merely coping with sciatica pain and ready to take proactive steps towards recovery, give us a call. Our chiropractic team in Midtown/Dundee Omaha is eager to meet you, explore your options, and support you on your journey to a pain-free life. We look forward to working with you to tackle sciatica pain head-on and transform it from a persistent adversary to a distant memory.
Dalton Sealey DC, CSCS
ProMove Chiropractic & Performance
402.915.4901
drsealey@promovechiropractic.com
Science Source:
Manipulation or Microdiskectomy for Sciatica? JMPT. 2010.