Explore our blog, ‘Low Back Pain: It’s Time to Stop the Insanity,’ to understand the causes, prevention measures, and chiropractic solutions for persistent lower back discomfort. Let’s end the pain cycle with evidence-based, holistic treatments.
Science Says the Best Way to Treat Sciatica is…
You know how scary it can be if you’ve ever fallen to your knees in pain due to sciatica. Sciatic pain is caused when a spinal disc, excess bone, or overgrown ligaments begin to pinch on your low back’s nerves. These nerves travel down your buttocks, down the back of your leg, and end up in your foot. Pain that locks up your low back and travels down your leg after sneezing, coughing, or bending over to pick something up is one of the least welcomed surprises you can experience. But do you know the best way to find relief?
You may find it surprising to learn that disc bulges and herniations are pretty common as we age, and most of the time, they don’t cause any pain. That’s right. You can (and may right now) have spinal disc issues that aren’t causing pain. However, if a nerve in your low back begins to get pinched, your body will let you know about it with a jolt of pain. It may seem like the only way to “take care” of a bulged or herniated disc is by cutting it out with surgery, but that’s not the case. The best way to treat sciatica is with the care offered in our practice. Stretching, exercise, and spinal adjustments reduce the pain associated with sciatica by reducing the pinching (or compression) on your spinal nerves.
- Controlled movement of your spinal joints can help reduce the inflammation and pain associated with sciatica.
- Surgery is a last resort, and it’s estimated that less than 5% of people with sciatica are good candidates for surgical intervention.
- A recent study found more relief (over 60%) with spinal adjustments than with spinal injections for people with lumbar disc herniations.
Having sciatica doesn’t mean that you are destined for surgery. Most people with disc issues and sciatica can get well using chiropractic care. Remember, your spine is resilient, your spinal discs can heal, and we’re here to help. Call iCare Chiropractic today if you have been struggling with sciatica.
Science Sources:
Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the American College of Physicians (2017)
Prevention and treatment of low back pain: evidence, challenges, and promising directions. The Lancet 2018
Symptomatic MRI-Confirmed Lumbar Disk Herniation Patients: A Comparative Effectiveness Prospective Observational Study of 2 Age- and Sex-Matched Cohorts Treated with Either High-Velocity, Low Amplitude Spinal Manipulative Therapy or Imaging-Guided Lumbar Nerve Root Injections. JMPT 2013
Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long-Term Outcome? SPINE 2011
Spinal High-Velocity Low Amplitude Manipulation in Acute Nonspecific Low Back Pain. SPINE 2013
Manipulation or Microdiskectomy for sciatica? A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study. JMPT 2010
Risk of Complications in Spine Surgery. Open Orthopaedics Journal 2015
