Sciatica Specialist

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a word often used by patients and practically everyone knows someone that has suffered from it. However, most patients are surprised when we explain that sciatica is a very general term that describes "pain down the leg," and doesn’t tell us much more. Obviously, there are many causes of sciatica, most of these causes are in the spine and not in the leg. Therefore suffering from sciatica will definitely require an examination of the lumbar spine. Conditions such as herniated discs and sacroiliac inflammation are just a couple of causes of sciatica.

How do I know if I have sciatica?

A thorough exam is an essential first step towards the treatment of sciatica. Once a proper diagnosis can be made, the right course of treatment can be developed for your specific symptoms. An exam usually includes a full review of your medical history, along with a physical assessment, to determine the source of the pain. This help to find imbalances or dysfunctions in the body and detects the source of impingement to aide in developing the most comprehensive treatment plan possible.

How does chiropractic treat sciatic symptoms?

Based on the diagnosis and assessment, a treatment plan for your specific needs will be put together to help the body to heal itself while offering relief from the pain of sciatica. The type of treatment will depend on what is causing the sciatica and may include several different treatments such as:

• Ice/Cold therapy – used to reduce inflammation to control sciatic pain.
• TENS unit (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) - a muscle stimulating machine used to control acute pain and reduce muscle spasms
• Manipulation – Spinal manipulations are a safe and effective way to help realign the body to free restricted movement of the spine. Manipulations can help reduce impingement of the nerve which is responsible for the pain, inflammation, muscle spasm, and other symptoms related to sciatica.