Are you feeling a sharp pain in your lower back and down your leg? This may be caused by sciatica, a common affliction for many people that may vary in terms of severity and frequency. As an extremely uncomfortable experience, it must be treated by a professional who knows how to treat the root cause. This is where the importance of a chiropractor comes in.
At Victoria’s Synergy Health Centre, our expert team is devoted to providing personalized assessments and treatments for such conditions. We have cultivated an environment of collaboration, enabling every patient to gain from the combined knowledge of our chiropractors.
What Is Sciatica and What Causes It?
Back pain comes in all forms and can appear slowly over months or right after an injury. Sometimes it’s hard to identify the source, but at times you can easily pinpoint it.
As the name suggests, it affects the sciatic nerve (the largest nerve in the human body). It’s located in the lower part of the back, near the buttocks and runs down to the toes. When it gets pinched in the lumbar region of the lower spine, you may experience numbness and shooting pains in legs, along with cramping.
Sciatica generally starts with a herniated disk in the lower spine. The vertebrae are divided and cushioned by flexible, flat and round discs of connective tissue. When a disc is worn down, its soft centre starts to push out from the hard outer ring. This can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, causing a lot of pain.
The reasons that are known to cause this medical condition include:
- Lumbar spine subluxations (misaligned vertebra or vertebrae)
- Herniated or bulging discs (slipped discs)
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Spinal tumors
- Diabetes
- Constipation
How Can Chiropractic Treatment Help Treat Sciatica?
Chiropractors are healers experienced in treating these types of issues as they specialize in the musculoskeletal system. They make use of techniques including electrotherapy and spinal manipulation to correct misalignments in your body.
The goal of this treatment is to help the body’s potential to heal itself. The principle behind this is that restricted spinal movement leads to reduced functionality and performance. It is non-invasive and drug-free.
A chiropractor’s first step is to identify what is causing sciatica as it can happen due to multiple reasons. Proper diagnosis involves a review of the patient’s medical history along with a physical and neurological examination. This may include an MRI, CT scan or electro-diagnostic tests. All these enable the chiropractor in identifying the origin of the pain to begin appropriate treatments.
The four main chiropractic techniques to help with sciatica are:
Spinal Decompression Therapy: Spinal decompression is a non-surgical procedure intended to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or on one or more compressed nerve roots passing through or exiting the spinal column.
Neuromobilizations: Nerve mobilization (or neuromobilization) is a broad area of intervention used to promote optimal mobility of peripheral nerves and the spinal cord by addressing neurodynamic function.
Active Release Techniques: (ART) are a soft tissue method that focuses on relieving tissue tension via the removal of fibrosis/adhesions which can develop in tissues as a result of overload due to repetitive use.
TENS: It stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Small amounts of controlled current are sent via electrical pads to the affected region. This reduces the pain and feels like a massage.
Ultrasounds: It uses mild heat waves to penetrate deep into the tissues. This increases blood circulation and reduces muscle spasms.
Spinal adjustments: This is where chiropractors use their hand to realign the body the way it is supposed to be. It aids with movement restrictions, nerve irritations, inflammation and other related problems.
Let Synergy Health Centre Help
We are Victoria, BC’s most comprehensive health and wellness team. We provide customized chiropractic care to treat a wide range of issues including arthritis, joint pain and sciatica. Our services are so beneficial that Olympic medalists and professional athletes frequently visit our facility. In addition to chiropractic care, we offer services including massage therapy, acupuncture and nutrition advisement.
Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
