Living With Sciatica? Try Chiropractic Care!
Tiger Woods is a firm believer in it. Barry Bonds and Joe Montana agree. But is chiropractic care effective for sciatica, or is it “all in their heads”?
As it turns out, the types of treatments that are offered by chiropractors are able to provide significant relief from the back and leg pain or numbness that is a hallmark of sciatica.
To learn more about your treatment options for sciatica, contact Leaps and Bounds: Performance Rehabilitation in Oakville, ON today.
What is sciatica?
To determine whether chiropractic care is appropriate for your back pain, you must first understand sciatica.
Irritation of the sciatic nerve, that runs from your back to your leg, may cause symptoms that include one or more of the following:
- Burning, numbness, or tingling in the back, buttock, legs, and/or feet
- Pain that intensifies when sitting, coughing, sneezing, or bending
- Pain when bending or twisting
- Weakness in the legs
Sciatica, which is also known by other names like radiculopathy, neuropathy, neuralgia, or referred pain, is misunderstood as a disorder itself. However, sciatica is actually a symptom of a disorder.
One of the most common causes of sciatica is lumbar disc herniation. But it can also be caused by other sensitive structures in the spine, and it could be made worse by external factors like stress, poor sleeping patterns, lack of physical activity, and other unhealthy behaviours.
The benefits of chiropractic care
A growing body of evidence-based research offers proof chiropractic care works. It does this by demonstrating the value of chiropractic care in addressing conditions affecting your spine, muscles, joints or nervous system. Chiropractic care is non-invasive (i.e. non-surgical) and drug-free.
Most of us associate spinal manipulation (or “adjustment”) with chiropractic care. This evidence-based therapy restores your joint’s natural movement, reducing irritation of the sciatic nerve, and it improves your ability to move through your day without pain. As chiropractic adjustment techniques are well-researched, complications are rare and side effects, such as temporary soreness, are usually minor.
Along with spinal manipulation, your chiropractor may use other forms of ‘hands-on’ therapy, electronic modalities, or acupuncture to alleviate sciatic pain. But like many other evidenced-based allied health professions (ex. physiotherapy and athletic therapy), self-management strategies (ex. positions for relief and pain management techniques), therapeutic exercises, and patient education will really really reinforce all the good work that is done in the clinic between sessions.
Contact us today to learn if this treatment is right for you.
If you are in the Oakville, ON or surrounding area and you want to learn first hand whether chiropractic care is right for you, contact our clinic today. Our team at Leaps and Bounds: Performance Rehabilitation can help you get started on a customized treatment plan that fits your needs.