Sciatica Treatment and Recovery
Sciatica is different from common back pain. With this condition, you might feel pain or uncomfortable nerve sensations that run from your lower back and down one leg, reaching into your calf or foot. Nerve sensations can include numbness, tingling, burning, and muscle weakness. The source of sciatica is nerve compression affecting the sciatic nerve. The key to effective sciatica treatment is to start with an examination. If you are dealing with sciatica, our team at Lansing Chiropractic Clinic can help you find relief.
What Is Sciatica
The sciatic nerves are a bundle of nerves on each side, which branch out from the lumbar portion of the spine, pass through the hips and extend down to the feet. When the vertebrae in the lumbar spine get out of alignment, one or more branches of the nerve are compressed and cause irritation and inflammation. Chiropractic adjustments work to properly align the spine by removing compression from the sciatic nerve. In some cases, sciatica is caused by a herniated or slipped disk or narrowing of the spine. Typically, sciatica symptoms will only impact one side of the body, but occasionally both sides can be involved.
Sciatica Symptoms
A common symptom is pain in the sciatic nerve that runs down the lower back, hips, and buttocks. This can cause pain in the legs and feet too. The intensity of the pain varies with each patient. Numbness in the leg is another symptom that you may feel. This is caused by bone spurs and discs pressing on the sciatica nerve. Another symptom is tingling in the feet. This is similar to when your arm or leg falls asleep.
Swelling, weak muscles, and inflammation are also common symptoms of sciatica. If you are experiencing difficultly traversing staircases or walking, this may be due to sciatica. Other symptoms are lower back pain, problems with moving the legs, pain standing up or sitting down, a burning sensation, and discomfort on one side of the buttocks.
How We Can Help
Dr. Carter can help by using gentle manipulation to put your spine back into alignment taking pressure off the nerve. Combining manipulation, which is also known as spinal adjustments, with physiotherapy modalities such as ultrasound and electrical muscle stimulation, is often beneficial in that these modalities help to relax the muscles and reduce the inflammation in the area, helping you to recover faster. We take referrals from primary care physicians and design customized treatment programs for each patient.
Contact Our Team for Help
Our team at Lansing Chiropractic Clinic is ready to help patients in the Lansing and Leavenworth area manage their sciatica. Give us a call at 913-727-2727 or contact us online to schedule your first appointment. Our team is ready to help you find the relief you need from sciatica.