Chiropractic Therapy for Sciatica

Sciatica is marked by a shooting pain from a person's lower back down to his or her legs. It's common and can range from very mild, to very painful. Having said that, the majority of patients suffering from sciatic pain can find relief through chiropractic care which manipulates the spine to relieve pressure.

Sciatica is an ailment that chiropractors in Belmar and Freehold help to solve for patients everyday, according to Dr. TJ Abrams at Thrive Spine and Sports Rehabilitation in Belmar, NJ.

Basics of Sciatica

For this type of pain or injury, it all comes down to the sciatic nerve. This nerve travels from the lower back and buttocks down each person's leg. Sciatica patients often feel the pain in this area or in the hips and calf muscles too.

While this is a common sort of pain, sciatica is not the same for every patient–it is more of a broad term for nerve pain in this region. The diagnosis of a root cause for sciatica makes each person's case a little bit different.

So how does sciatica start? There are two main ways that bring about sciatic pain:

A herniated disk, "slipped disk," or spinal stenosis
A bone overgrowth (bone spur) around the lower spine (lumbar nerve roots)

The corresponding pain and symptoms are similar for each patient suffering from sciatica. Pain can range from very mild, to sharp-shooting pain, and even numbness or "pins-and-needles." These symptoms and pain often occur anywhere along the sciatic nerve pathway from the lower back, to the buttocks, hips, the back of legs, and/or the calf.

While any combination of these symptoms is likely, the pain will most commonly be felt when coughing, laughing, when making sudden movements, or when sitting for long periods of time. For this reason, a chiropractor or physical therapist is necessary to diagnose the root cause of the pain and provide a custom plan for physical wellness.

The Benefits of Chiropractic Therapy for Sciatica

The main benefit to working with a chiropractor when dealing with sciatica is that a professional chiropractic care provider will diagnose the root cause of the pain. Chiropractors find the root cause associated with sciatica and will then create a custom plan for patients to find relief.

Once enacted, a chiropractic plan combatting sciatica will reveal benefits for the patient:

Increased circulation
Improved posture
Sciatic pain relief around trigger points
Better connection between nerves, muscles, and joints
Root cause diagnosis without MRI
Healing over time without invasive surgery or pain-numbing pharmaceutical drugs

In most cases, sciatica from a herniated disk can be resolved within a few months. Individuals receiving care are often 30-years or older. Chiropractors help heal these individuals by relieving pressure on the disks which cushion bones (vertebrae) in the lower spine.

While athletes may experience sciatic pain from general wear-and-tear, this diagnosis is usually found in older individuals. For these older adults, sciatica can be the result of arthritis. What's more, sciatica can also be the result of bone spurs (which are often found in elderly individuals).

There are many root causes for sciatica as well as various symptoms. For this reason, there are different chiropractic care services that clinicians may prescribe to relieve pain and heal:

Varied chiropractic adjustments
Spinal manipulation
Therapeutic muscle stretching and strengthening
Lifestyle changes and patient education
Decompression table for patients with radiculopathy; or where the nerve root is impacted
Soft tissue work and stretching of gluteus muscles
PNF or Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation is a chiropractic and physical therapy treatment technique which includes active stretching and isometric contraction of the muscle group being targeted–in this case it around the sciatic nerve
Similarly, post isometric relaxation is implemented
Nerve glides and nerve flossing

Are you finally ready to live pain-free?

Learn more about Chiropractic in Belmar and Chiropractic in Freehold.

Or call us at 732-359-7440 to schedule an appointment.

Possible Side-Effects of Chiropractic Care for Sciatica

Pain from sciatica is the result of impediments to the sciatic nerve. Chiropractors will manipulate a patient's body to stimulate relief, or instruct patients how to move their bodies in order to heal.

So, when undergoing adjustments by chiropractors (and with any form of physical therapy or training) there is a possibility of pain or injury. When seeing a chiropractor to heal sciatica, there are a few things to keep in mind…

Adjustments can cause pain. Obviously, the goal is to alleviate back pain. So, any acute pain during treatment should never be worse than the chronic pain from sciatica which brought the patient to the chiropractor in the first place.

Chiropractic care can cause muscle soreness. Along with muscle soreness, chiropractic treatments can cause dizziness, faintness, and drowsiness. Patients should always eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before chiropractic care. After therapy, patients should move slowly and stretch to alleviate these possible side-effects.

As chiropractors determine the root cause of pain and prescribe a chiropractic care plan to alleviate the pain, patients must be honest with doctors and physical therapists. Patients should let chiropractors know their comfort level with adjustments. Additionally, patients need to tell care providers the truth about levels of pain and symptoms in order to receive the best results.

Living with Sciatic Pain

Living with sciatica and the resulting pain is simply agreeing to operate less than 100%. This means that pain will be felt during sports, work, or when playing with children and loved ones. Plus, operating in pain will only further open patients to worsened pain or injury.

When living with sciatic pain, individuals can experience a range of symptoms:

Mild pain akin to a leg cramp
Shooting pain that can be sharp, or knife-like pain
Severe pain and leg weakness
Further body weakness like bowel or bladder changes

Living with sciatica may worsen nerve connection issues. As a result, individuals may open themselves up to invasive surgery, rather than healing naturally over time with chiropractic care.

Furthermore, living in pain with sciatica may rationalize use of pain-numbing pharmaceutical drugs or muscle relaxers. However, these drugs are only short-term solutions for pain, will carry potentially harmful side-effects, and will never work toward curing the root cause of sciatica.

The Chiropractic Approach to Healing Sciatica at Thrive

A custom, multi-faceted approach is necessary when healing sciatica, according to the chiropractors and physical therapists at Thrive Spine and Sports Rehabilitation in Belmar and Freehold, NJ.

At Thrive, the first appointment involves a long conversation between the patient and doctor. Here the chiropractor will listen to each symptom, scenario, and sensory feeling from the patient. During the consultation, the doctor is taking notes and putting together each of the patient's anecdotes to form a larger equation. To complete this initial equation, the doctor will palpate, or get a sense of the patient's physical wellbeing to suggest the root cause of pain.

The first appointment often involves a strength or muscle test to develop a baseline, as well as to set goals for treatment. Once a root cause of pain is determined, the chiropractor will suggest a timeframe for treatment, as well as the step-by-step services to implement in order to heal.

For example, a sciatica patient will often have numbness down their hamstring as well weakness in the area when doing the initial muscle test.

As chiropractors, "We affect the musculoskeletal system and nervous system through adjustments that send a reflex into and back from the spinal cord," said Dr. TJ Abrams of Thrive's Belmar clinic. "This gets back to the joint and calms it down along with the surrounding tissue too."

Chiropractic care is strengthening the body, Abrams continued to explain. Chiropractors work with patients to strengthen muscles and heal injuries little by little in a natural way. Chiropractic care also fits nicely into a greater plan for physical therapy and general wellness. Aside from chiropractic care services, treatments for sciatica at Thrive include:

Cold plunge
Sauna
Electro acupuncture and dry needling
Massage
And more…

FAQs

How does sciatica start?

Sciatica can start from a bone spur causing radiculopathy, or more commonly from disc irritation, herniation, or bulging. Disk issues cause an inflammatory chemical reaction that can irritate the nerve roots making up the sciatic nerve. Poor biomechanics, peripheral issues with the Piriformis muscle, muscle overuse, or even underuse from sitting too much can also cause sciatica.

Who needs chiropractic care for sciatica?

Most often, sciatica occurs in individuals who are 30 years or older. Sciatica also often occurs in athletes, laborers, as well as sedentary individuals.

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve, resulting in pain down the lower back. There are two types: radiculopathy (nerve root encroachment) and neuropathy (irritation outside the spinal cord). The diagnosis and treatment depend on the specific type and root cause.

What chiropractic services are prescribed for sciatica patients?

Services may include chiropractic adjustments, spinal manipulation, therapeutic muscle stretching and strengthening, lifestyle changes, decompression table treatments, soft tissue work, PNF (Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation), post isometric relaxation, and nerve glides and flossing.

How long does it take to feel the effects of chiropractic care for sciatica?

Treatment duration varies per individual. Usually, one session won't cure sciatic pain. Chiropractors often recommend 1-2 sessions per week for 6 weeks or more, creating a custom plan to achieve the patient's goals.

What are the disadvantages of chiropractic therapy for sciatica?

Possible disadvantages include muscle soreness, discomfort, acute pain during sessions, dizziness, and drowsiness. There's also a chance of re-injury during adjustments or spinal manipulation. However, these risks are generally minimal when treated by a qualified professional.