3 Chiropractic Techniques to Help Your Sciatica

We all go through pain from time to time, but pain in the back is widespread, with 84% of people of every age group globally struggling with it at some point in their lives. Low back pain is the number one health complaint in the world. It can come from a lot of physical, psychological, and lifestyle-related reasons and can defer from some other parts of the body.

Sciatica is a compression or other form of irritation to your sciatic nerve and a common reason for back pain, affecting about 40% of the population. If you’re dealing with sciatica-related back pain, chiropractic care can help reduce it and other symptoms. Let’s explore how it can help by examining what sciatica is, how chiropractic care can help, and what techniques it can use to accomplish this goal.

Residents of the Dunedin, Largo, Riverview, and St. Petersburg, Florida area struggling with back pain from sciatica or other causes can find relief with Drs. Stephen Steller, Ryan Garcia, Justin Murray, and the dedicated medical team at Spinal Correction Centers.

What is sciatica?

Your sciatic nerve runs from your lower spine down the buttocks to the soles of your feet, making it your largest cluster of nerves in the body. Formed by five nerve roots and the lower spine, sciatica is a condition that can affect any part of this area but commonly affects your back. 

Often, it results from the nerve being pinched or compressed by conditions like a herniated disc, bone overgrowths, or bone spurs. However, risk factors like diabetes, obesity, jobs requiring heavy lifting or prolonged sitting, and age play a role.

This nerve issue can result in a range of pains, from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation anywhere along the nerve and sometimes feels like a jolt or electric shock. While the pain can go away, severe problems with this nerve can lead to loss of sensation, weakness, and loss of bladder or bowel control.

How does a chiropractor help?

Chiropractic care is all manual therapy through spinal and joint manipulation to relieve pain, and these methods can help to align body parts and relieve pain. The treatments generally involve stretching and applying controlled pressure to troubled areas but also include exercises to do on your own to complement the treatments and even dietary changes help the process. 

Since sciatica affects your spine and lower body, chiropractic care can help address the pain by manipulating and aligning soft tissue in the areas where this condition affects you.

What methods can relieve my pain?

Here are some methods we use to reduce pain:

1. Manual therapy

Painful knots in your muscles called trigger points are sometimes responsible for pinching your sciatic nerve, leading to painful symptoms. Manual therapy can help relieve the pain in the trigger points, alleviating issues with your sciatic nerve.

2. Spinal adjustment

Sciatic pain can be due to spinal misalignments, so manual adjustments made in the lower spine can help to relieve symptoms and correct underlying issues with posture.

3. Spinal decompression

If your pain is due to problems with a herniated disc, decompressing your spine can help alleviate pain. This non-surgical method involves gentle stretching of the spine using motorized traction.

These methods, combined with other exercises and relaxation techniques, can help ease the problems with sciatic pain and get you back to feeling normal again. So if you’re struggling with back problems due to sciatica, make an appointment today with Drs. Steller, Garcia, and Murray at Spinal Correction Centers to become pain-free.