Can a Lakewood Chiropractor Help Sciatica?
Chiropractic care in Lakewood often includes the treatment of sciatica. This condition results from lower back pain or pain in the buttock which moves to the legs (one or both). The pain comes from your nerves and this pain varies in frequency and intensity. It may be severe or manageable, continuous or momentary. The pain is similar to that of a toothache and presents itself as mild but with and twitchy with significant aches. You may also experience numbness, tingling and burning sensations.
Nerve Compression is the Root Cause of Sciatica
Sciatic nerve compression leads to sciatica. Disorders stemming from the spine like pregnancy, childbirth, tumors, lumbar spine subluxations, bulging or herniated discs and other disorders like constipation and diabetes cause sciatic nerve pain.
Sciatic Nerve Pain May be Experienced in the Lower Back and Move towards the Legs
Piriformis syndrome is another cause of sciatica. It comes from the piriformis muscle which exists below the spine. The muscle is attached to the hip bone and is essential for hip rotation. Underneath the piriformis muscle is the sciatic nerve. The piriformis muscle can sustain injuries through falls, slips difference in the length of the legs or through hip arthritis. Any of these situations will result in spasm and cramping in the muscle, affecting the sciatic nerve which will result in pain and inflammation.
The results of sciatic nerve compression include monoplegia (limb or muscle paralysis), insomnia and sensory loss.
It is Important to get Proper Sciatica Diagnosis
Because sciatica is a symptom of multiple disorders, the chiropractor should the disorder that is causing the patient to experience sciatica. A proper diagnosis should include an in-depth review of the patient’s medical history, a neurological and physical examination. The chiropractor should also conduct significant tests such as CT, MRI, and x-ray scans together with electrodiagnostic tests like electromyography, velocity, and nerve conduction tests. This scrutiny will establish any issues that arise from spinal adjustments and determine the chiropractic therapies needed.
Chiropractic care for Sciatica
Chiropractic care stems from the practice of directing the body to heal itself through natural therapies. Chiropractors believe that pain results from restricted spinal movements and that is why they manipulate the spine to function well for you. Their treatments are non-surgical and do not include drugs. The therapy that will be used on you depends on the cause of your sciatica. Chiropractic therapies for sciatica treatment may involve spinal manipulation (adjustments), TENS, ultrasound or ice/cold therapies.
Details of Chiropractic Treatments
Ultrasound therapy is in form of mild heat that is developed by sound waves that deeply pass through tissues, thereby, reducing muscle spasms, swelling, cramping, pain, stiffness and increase circulation.
Ice/cold, therapies minimize inflammation and regulate sciatic pain.
Spinal manipulation is the basis of chiropractic care in Lakewood. These spinal adjustments aid in restoring misaligned vertebral bodies to their rightful position in the spinal column and freeing restricted spinal movements. Another benefit of spinal adjustments is the reduction of nerve irritability which causes muscle pain, inflammation, pain and many other symptoms related to sciatica. Chiropractic care involving spinal adjustments is not painful but has rather proven to be safe and effective.
Students training and learning to be Lakewood chiropractors in colleges are taught different therapy techniques to enable them to deal with different types of disorders and subluxations. These techniques differ depending on the swift velocity thrust and gentle pressure. Mastery of these techniques requires precision and great skills. The difference between chiropractic care and other healthcare initiatives is spinal manipulation.