Sunnyvale Chiropractor – Sciatic Nerve Pain
What Are the Symptoms of Sciatica?
Do you have leg pain that gets worse while you are sitting down? Do you have difficulty moving your leg or foot due to a burning or tingling sensation? Is a constant ache on one side of the buttocks or lower back affecting your everyday functioning? If so, you may be experiencing problems related to an imbalanced sciatic nerve. Located in the lower spine, the sciatic nerve can become compressed due to a range of physical causes and imbalances that typically cause intense discomfort and pain that begins in the lower back and radiates down through the leg. Many individuals report that sciatic nerve pain can interfere with the most basic of physical functions and is not even relieved by sitting or lying down. Mission Chiropractic chiropractors specialize in getting to the source of your sciatica and offer complete chiropractic care treatment plans as an alternative to ineffective pain medications and risky surgery.
What Causes Sciatica?
When the roots of the lower lumbar become irritated, conditions such as spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal) and a range of degenerative disc diseases that limit the cushioning of delicate vertebrae can create the condition commonly known as sciatica. Excessive weight, improper posture during pregnancy and even poor sleeping habits have all been identified as possible triggers for the onset of the condition. Qualified diagnosis and prompt chiropractic care are essential to avoid the progression of sciatic nerve problems. If left untreated, sciatica can result in loss of feeling and function in the affected leg that may have a cumulative effect on other areas of the body creating a series of physical imbalances and misalignments that worsen over time.
How Can Chiropractic Care Relieve Sciatic Nerve Pain?
Mission Chiropractic chiropractors offer treatments for sciatica from our Sunnyvale clinic that begin by addressing misalignments in the spine with manual adjustments to relax trigger points in the muscles of the lower back and buttocks. Gentle stretching of the spine relieves pressure from the affected nerves and stimulates the natural healing of possible disc herniation that is often associated with sciatic nerve pain. Chiropractic spinal adjustments are combined with other techniques within completely personalized treatment plans. The effective treatment of sciatica may include the use of ultrasound heat waves to deeply penetrate tissue and increase circulation that encourages natural healing, in addition to reducing muscle spasm and stiffness. Heat therapy is often alternated with ice and cold therapy techniques to reduce inflammation and provide prompt pain relief.
Chiropractic spinal adjustments have been shown to create a response in the nervous system that has the capacity to restore mobility and relieve pain in an affected area. The reduction in inflammation induced by qualified chiropractic techniques has been shown to stimulate the body’s natural healing systems. A study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics revealed that out of 120 patients, 60% of those who made regular weekly visits to a chiropractor to treat their sciatica experienced the same degree of pain relief as those who had chosen to undergo surgery.