Unlike many people think, sciatica is actually a symptom and not a condition. Pressure on the sciatic nerve is what ultimately causes pain in the legs, known as sciatica. It may either feel like sharp, shooting pain or dull ongoing cramps. Weakness, numbing and tingling may also occur up and down the leg, even in the toes. Since the sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the body, there are high chances at some point you will aggravate it.
Causes
- Herniated Disk
- Bulging Disk
- Degenerative Disk Disease
- Bone Spur
- Spinal Stenosis
- Piriformis Syndrome
While there are certainly more than the above, those are general causes that we have seen in the past. Anything that irritates or pinches the sciatic nerve may cause sciatic pain, whether for a short or long period of time.
Prevention
There isn’t exact evidence as to how to prevent sciatic pain, however just as we see in many back and lower back issues, a strong core and spine may be key. Regular exercise, a strong core and posture may all help in keeping happy sciatic nerves.
Chiropractic Care
The core purpose of chiropractic care is to guide the body toward healing itself. Chiropractic adjustments are meant to help the spine realign, and ultimately teach the spine its place in the body. Through ongoing adjustments and/or chiropractic therapy, the body will learn movements that help to best support it. When sciatica is an issue, chiropractic care can aid in healing and prevention. A few ways we can help are with:
Traditional Adjustments – This is the typical chiropractic care you hear about. Getting hands-on adjustments by a chiropractor that will help to realign the spine. When we realign the spine, the rest of the body is meant to follow suit. As we know, everything in the body is connected. Therefore, when we heal one area, the rest of the body will be more inclined to heal as well.
Cold Laser Therapy – Cold Laser Therapy is Coherent Laser Light or light energy with the unique property to penetrate the skin inches deep. This causes an increase in cellular metabolism with no damage to the tissue whatsoever.
Active Release Technique – Active Release Technique (ART) is a chiropractic method used to treat soft tissue disorders and restore peak performance as quickly as possible. By manipulating soft tissue and reducing the stress placed on joints and nerves, ART can be used to treat patients with a wide array of chronic pains or injuries, preventing and breaking up dense scar tissue and restoring normal mobility.
If you have been dealing with ongoing sciatic pain, come in and see Dr. Stover. He will be happy to adjust you and provide guidance on how to best heal and care for sciatic nerve pain.
