Sciatica is a common, yet misunderstood condition that affects up to 40 percent of the population. Most cases of mild sciatica resolve on their own. However, when sciatica doesn’t resolve on its own, it can lead to chronic pain and muscle weakness. When this happens, rely on the expertise of a chiropractic team, like the one at St. Paul Chiropractic and Natural Medicine Center, to relieve your pain in a safe manner and without medication.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a label for pain that’s triggered when your sciatic nerve becomes pinched. The sciatic nerve travels from your lower back, past your hips, and down each leg. Sciatica pain can be found anywhere along this path and is often felt through the entire length.
Causes of Sciatica
This most common cause of sciatica is a herniated disk in your spine that presses on the sciatic nerve. It can also occur when a bone spur presses on the nerve or when your spine is narrowed and puts pressure on the nerve. Sciatica often resolves on its own. When it doesn’t, it’s a good idea to see a medical provider. Left untreated, some cases of sciatica can lead to permanent damage to your sciatica nerve. This could cause you to lose feeling in your affected leg or even lose control of your bowel and bladder.
Identifying Sciatica
Most people only experience sciatica on one side of their body. The pain can be mild or severe. The pain can be felt as an electric shock or as a deep aching pain. It can also cause your affected leg and foot to feel numb or weak.
Chiropractic Care for Sciatic Pain
When most people think of chiropractic care, they primarily imagine “getting your back and neck cracked” to alleviate back or neck pain. It is true that this process, known as chiropractic adjustments, is a big part of the chiropractic treatment of sciatica, but chiropractors use a variety of treatment methods to address sciatic nerve impingement and pain:
- Cold therapy which reduces inflammation.
- Ultrasound which soothes pain with a gentle heat created by sound waves that penetrate muscles, increasing circulation and reducing muscle spasms, stiffness, and pain.
- Spinal manipulation which frees the spine to move properly and restores proper alignment to vertebrae experiencing subluxation.
- Spinal decompression therapy involves stretching the spine, with the goal of relieving back pain and/or leg pain.
Relief of Sciatic-Related Pain in St. Paul, MN
For long-lasting healing, you need a chiropractor’s help. At St. Paul Chiropractic and Natural Health Center, we’ve helped hundreds of sciatica patients find relief through spinal realignment and medical massage. If you’re suffering from sciatic pain, contact us today to start feeling relief as quickly as possible!
