Sciatica

At their worst, Sciatica symptoms can be debilitating, life-changing, and extremely painful. Sciatica typically affects only the left or right side of the body at a time, but can sometimes present itself in both sides simultaneously. Sciatica is associated with burning, stabbing, or shooting pain, aching, numbness, and/or tingling which radiates from the lower back (lumbar spine) down the buttocks and through the back of the leg, knee, and calf to the foot. The pain often becomes worse after prolonged periods of sitting or standing. Sneezing and coughing also sometimes aggravate the condition.

At Unity Chiropractic & Wellness Center, our sciatica treatment focuses on using the least aggressive, non-invasive, and side effect free methods of treatment first, rather than beginning treatment using pain medications and surgery. Our chiropractors, Dr. Kathy Cantwell and Dr. Justin Jelen, as well as their team of wellness professionals believe in treating the whole body with natural, non-invasive methods.

A condition which combines both musculoskeletal and neurological conditions, sciatica can be effectively treated with chiropractic care. After evaluating a patient health history and pinpointing the condition causing the patient’s sciatica, Dr. Cantwell or Dr. Jelen, will prescribe a personalized wellness plan comprised of a combination of gentle chiropractic adjustments, myofascial therapies, acupuncture, and nutritional counseling to ensure your body has all of the nutrient tools it needs to heal.

After an initial adjustment, Sciatica patients often report immediate relief from their symptoms. Throughout the course of a treatment schedule, patients enjoy less frequent, less severe, and curtailed flare-ups of their sciatica symptoms. Since chiropractic care with our team at Unity Chiropractic & Wellness Center focuses on treated the problem at its source rather than masking symptoms with medications, we help patients get better faster. In addition to finding relief from sciatica, many of our patients also experience an overall improvement in their health and physical being with improved sleep, higher immune function, and less pain overall.

Sciatica is a back condition characterized by pain that starts in your lower back and travels all the way down one leg. Pain occurs when body structures pinch the sciatic nerve which extends from your back all the way down your buttocks, calf, leg and foot.

As you age, spinal discs and bones can begin to deteriorate and shift, causing them to pinch sciatic nerve roots. Compression of your sciatic nerve can result in pain. Acute injuries that result in spinal misalignments putting pressure on your sciatic nerve can cause sciatica pain. Obesity, pregnancy and poor posture may also cause sciatica by putting undue pressure on your spine over an extended period.

Lower back pain is a common symptom of sciatica often accompanied by pain shooting down the back of your leg. Sciatica can also cause pain in your buttock and hip along with numbness in your leg or foot. You may lose strength in your legs or control over your movements.

Sciatica pain may come and go or be constant. Some people have bouts of pain that last a few weeks and then disappear only to return later down the line. By treating the cause of your pain, your Beaverton OR chiropractor can help you experience long term pain relief.

Depending on the cause of your pain, your Beaverton OR chiropractor may start by adjusting imbalances in your spine to reduce pressure off the sciatic nerve. This will relieve pain and restore blood circulation to the area so you can heal. We may combine adjustments with hot/cold treatments to reduce inflammation of nerve tissues, rehab exercises to strengthen spinal support and massage to relieve muscle tension and help restore your mobility.

Maintaining good posture and managing your weight can help prevent sciatica. Routine spinal screenings and adjustments from your Beaverton OR chiropractor can also help prevent sciatica pain by correcting minor misalignments that may occur and keeping your spine in balance.