Are you looking for a chiropractor for sciatica? Or wondering how chiropractors for sciatica can treat your pain? You’re in the right place. Experiencing any type of pain can be inconvenient to your daily routine, and cause disruptions to your life. But this is especially true if you’re suffering from sciatica, as even though it won’t cause you any serious harm, the symptoms can be extremely painful especially when you move. This can lead to you making the condition worse, as not moving can slow down your body healing; prolonging your symptoms. Sciatica can heal on its own without treatment, however this process is slow and you may find you’re doing certain things that prevent your body from healing properly. That’s where chiropractors for sciatica can help. This is one of the best methods in speeding up your healing process and getting you back to normal without having to take any pain medication.
While always being effective in naturally treating injuries and symptoms of pain in your body, chiropractic treatment is growing in popularity as more people are realising the benefits of what seeing a chiropractor can do for their bones, muscles and joints. If you’re experiencing the problematic symptoms of sciatica, then you may be contemplating what treatment is right for you. Fortunately we at Active Care Chiropractic have put together this blog on how chiropractors provide relief for sciatic nerve pain. This article should help you determine the right treatment to relieve your symptoms, so you can start your recovery journey and get back to your normal life.
What Is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a general term used to describe pain, numbness and weakness in your legs and feet. It can be caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve – which runs from your lower back down to your feet. This condition can be caused by a herniated disk, trapped nerve or piriformis syndrome, putting pressure on your sciatic nerve. Symptoms that you experience will vary depending on the severity of the irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve, but it’s important if you believe you have this condition that you seek treatment to ensure it doesn’t worsen. Some people are more at risk of experiencing this than others, such as people who have a job that requires them to sit for long periods of time, people who engage in sports that put excessive stress on their back and people who have a history of back problems. Although anyone can develop sciatica, it’s important to know the symptoms to look out for to allow you to seek treatment as soon as possible and get relief for sciatic nerve pain.
What Are The Symptoms Of Sciatica?
You may be wondering, what are the symptoms of sciatica? You can experience symptoms of pain that can range from a mild ache to a sharp pain in your lower back, thigh or calf. You can also experience a burning or tingling sensation along the back of one of your legs; although uncommon, some people have had the experience of dealing with pain in both legs. Some people also report the feeling of numbness and have trouble moving the entirety of the leg, which negatively affects mobility. Another symptom is consistent pain on one side of the lower back; the intensity of this pain can get worse if you’re sitting or standing for long periods of time throughout the day. Sciatica can also worsen when abruptly standing causing intolerable pain, making it difficult to stand up. The sudden body movements caused by sneezing can also put excessive strain on the already tender area.
Can Chiropractors Help With Sciatica
Seeking treatment from a chiropractor is one of the best ways in dealing with symptoms of sciatica, by addressing the underlying cause of the condition as opposed to just relieving symptoms of pain. Is a chiropractor good for sciatica? By offering specialist techniques to heal your body naturally, chiropractors can effectively provide treatment for this condition without having to take any pain medication, or undergo any invasive procedures. Treating your muscles and joints can encourage them to heal faster than if you were to let them heal on their own. Chiropractors are also good for increasing blood circulation, which can be a cause of sciatica nerve pain. Seeing a chiropractor for sciatica can help prevent any future episodes of this condition, correcting issues with the spine which may be the cause of the problem. Some chiropractors work alongside different healthcare providers, such as a physical therapist, ensuring that you receive the best care possible.
How Can A Chiropractor Help With Sciatica
There are many benefits in seeking a chiropractor for sciatica, by identifying and addressing the underlying cause of the problem with various treatments. There are a range of soothing techniques chiropractors use, including spinal manipulation, soft tissue therapy and stretching exercises to alleviate pain, improve mobility and nerve functions. Spinal injuries such as a slipped disc in your back, can result in sciatic nerve pain. Chiropractors can help to treat these conditions, using their hands to restore regular movement to the area in the body by working your spine and muscles in the area. When your spine is out of alignment it can cause an array of problems in your body, people with this issue often experience referred pain and sciatica is no exception. These issues show how important it is to see a chiropractor if you think that you’re experiencing these symptoms, in order to correct the underlying problem and prevent sciatica recurring.
What Do Chiropractors For Sciatica Do
Chiropractors for sciatica usually start a session by assessing what’s aggravating the nerve in your case. That means listening to how your pain behaves through the day, testing specific movements, and checking whether soft tissues around the hip are restricting the nerve as it passes through. There are different treatments chiropractors for sciatica perform, here are some of the options we offer at Active Care (for our full treatment options click here):
Active Release Technique – ART
Active release technique or ART involves adding pressure to the affected area combined with movement. This is to break down scar tissue in the muscles surrounding the sciatic nerve, which will free the compressed nerve. ART also helps to restore function allowing you to move freely, and reduces pain. This manipulation is non-invasive, working to heal the root cause of the sciatica nerve pain, providing longer lasting relief than if you were to mask the pain with medication.
Shockwave Therapy
If you’ve been experiencing symptoms for a while and they’re not seeming to heal on their own, chiropractors for sciatica may perform shockwave therapy. This works by delivering high frequency sound waves to the specific area that’s been troubling you to trigger your body’s natural healing process. The shockwaves are effective at breaking down more stubborn scar tissue which relieves the pressure put on the sciatic nerve, as well as increasing blood circulation to the area to encourage the body’s natural healing process.
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy can work well alongside other treatments. The near infrared light penetrates the cells at a deeper level, when absorbed it stimulates cell repair and recovery. This is great for sciatica and in between appointments to reduce sensitivity in irritated tissues and to aid recovery. This pairs well with ART and Shockwave therapy by helping calm the area so you can keep moving without flare-ups.
When To See A Chiropractor For Sciatica
If your leg pain or tingling is starting to get in the way of your normal life, then it may be a sign you need to book in with one of our chiropractors for sciatica. If sitting for periods of time is a struggle, or if the pain is keeping you up at night, it’s time to get assessed. Recurring episodes of sciatica are another sign. Seeing a chiropractor for sciatica not only treats the underlying cause, but can prevent future flare ups too.
A York Based Chiropractor For Sciatica
At Active Care Chiropractic you’re in safe and capable hands. Chiropractors all must undergo 4 years of intense training to become a chiropractor. This means you can rest assured that if you are choosing a chiropractor for sciatica that they are trained in a variety of specialist techniques, and you can remain confident that you’re receiving the most effective treatment that’s tailored specifically to you.
Having years of experience in helping our patients relieve pain, our main goal is to improve the quality of our patients’ day-to-day lives. At Active Care Chiropractic we make it our priority to make sure all patients receiving treatment from us are comfortable, and are happy with their sessions with us. Book your first session with us today and start receiving relief for your sciatic nerve pain.
