5 Ways Our Chiropractors Can Help Relieve Your Sciatica Back Pain
Are you experiencing pain in your back and legs related to sciatica? If you are, you’re not alone. According to Cleveland Clinic, 40% of people in the United States experience sciatica back pain.
Occurring in the lower spinal region, sciatica back pain is caused by pinched and bundled nerves. These pinched nerves result in pain that can affect other areas of your body—such as your glutes and legs. As we say here at CareFree Chiropractic, “Sciatica is stressful.” Nobody wants to experience constant back pain that cripples your ability to enjoy daily life.
Traditional sciatica treatments involve pain medication, at-home remedies, and sometimes surgery. These solutions aren’t always effective. Thankfully, there are other natural forms of treatment that can relieve the root cause of your sciatica without chemicals or invasive procedures.
Can chiropractors help your sciatica back pain? The short answer: yes. Let’s break down five specific steps your chiropractor will take to help relieve your sciatica.
1. Diagnosing sciatica back pain.
The essential first step in the healing process is correctly diagnosing the source of your sciatica back pain. Through a variety of tests and assessments, your chiropractor will accurately diagnose your back pain and proceed with proper treatment.
As part of this process, Your chiropractor may ask questions about your pain, lifestyle, and medical history. Then they will examine how the sciatica is affecting your physical coordination and mobility. To fully diagnose the root cause of your sciatica, your chiropractor may run a variety of tests such as a CT scan, MRI, or x-ray to look more closely at your spine and nervous system. This information allows for a comprehensive diagnosis and steps toward your natural healing and recovery.
2. Focusing on the root problem.
Unlike conventional medicine methods, functional chiropractic care focuses on addressing the source of your pain: the pinched nerves in your spine. While sciatica pain can occur elsewhere in the body (such as down the back of your leg), the problem often originates from damaged spinal discs. Chiropractic care targets this damage directly, rather than wasting time on other areas of your body or merely managing symptoms through pain medication.
3. Re-aligning your spine.
Chiropractors specialize in spinal adjustments that correct unnatural curvatures and slipped discs to allow the nervous system to function properly. Most people sit at desks and hunch over phone screens for hours a day. These postures cause issues with the spine. Therefore, spinal adjustments are essential for a healthy body—and an effective way to treat sciatica back pain. These adjustments realign your spinal cord and reduce internal inflammation.
4. Treating muscle tissue.
Massage therapy is another effective—and often enjoyable—method for relieving sciatica pain. Massage compliments direct chiropractic care, and our massage therapist has experience in both chiropractic and muscle massage. Massage treatment helps relieve both the physical and mental stress of sciatica nerve pain.
5. Offering other natural treatment options.
A strong back and core is necessary to achieve complete relief from your sciatica back pain. In addition to chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy, a chiropractor may treat patients with other noninvasive methods like physical therapy, ice therapy, and ultrasound. These are common ways to treat muscles and inflammation. Chiropractors also may utilize Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), a device that uses electrical currents to relieve pain. Additional activities such as yoga, stretching, and other forms of gentle exercise will contribute to overall health and back pain relief.
Know Where to Turn.
CareFree Chiropractic is committed to helping you find complete relief and recovery from sciatica back pain. We offer a variety of chiropractic services, including specific treatment for sciatica; and we employ a licensed massage therapist. If you’re ready to say goodbye to sciatica for good, contact us today.
