As a chiropractor providing sciatica treatment Kitchener Waterloo, I get asked a lot how chiropractic helps sciatica? For the majority of individuals, any pain going down the leg is sciatic nerve irritation. However, true sciatic nerve pain is not as common as most people believe.
The chance that an individual will experience irritation of the sciatic nerve in their life (lifetime incidence) is anywhere between 2-40% (lifetime incidence of low back pain is over 80 percent). The large discrepancy in lifetime incidence could be due to the fact that irritation to the sciatic nerve is often mistaken for other conditions, such as: referral pain from the glutes or a hamstring irritation. For more information on sciatica symptoms, please click here.
How does chiropractic treatment help with sciatica?
The first step to effectively treating sciatic irritation is to correctly diagnose the problem. As mentioned previously, sciatica treatment in Kitchener Waterloo is often misdiagnosed. Therefore, it is important to see a chiropractor who can accurately determine the cause of your pain.
Education and reassurance are one of the most important treatment strategies for any condition. It is vital that your chiropractor knows the most current research, so they can provide you with evidenced based treatments. As with most conditions, conservative management does not speed up the healing but can be an effective way of reducing irritation and improving range of motion and decreasing pain.
Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatica
According to the U.K national healthcare guidelines (NICE). Non-invasive treatments that have been shown to be beneficial for treating low back pain with sciatic nerve irritation include manual therapy (chiropractic adjustment and soft tissue therapy) in combination with exercise. At Sports Rehab and Wellness, Dr. Dixon will take the time to give you exercises and stretches that will treat the cause of your sciatica and prevent the pain from returning in the future.
Acupuncture Treatment for Sciatica
Acupuncture can also be an effective way to decrease muscle tension and pain caused from sciatica. The goal of the acupuncture treatment increases blood flow to muscles innervated by the sciatic nerve, allowing them to relax. Electrical acupuncture can also be effective, as different frequencies promote the release of different neuropeptides; such as: endorphins and enkephalins. These neuropeptides bind to opioid receptors and decrease pain.
Treatments that have been shown to be ineffective for treating sciatic nerve irritation include traction, ultrasound, TENS and orthotics.
For sciatica treatment in the Kitchener Waterloo region, be sure to contact us at Sports Rehab and Wellness to book an appointment with Dr. Joel Dixon today.