Bottom Line:
Have you ever immediately stopped in your tracks or fallen to your knees because of a sudden onset of sciatica pain?
Perhaps your low back “locked-up” and pain shot down your leg after a simple sneeze or cough or you bent over to pick something up.
Talk about one of the most unwelcome surprises of your life!
And it can be scary.
After all, intense pain like that must be caused by something serious, right?
Well, as the leading chiropractor that treats sciatica in Austin, we’re here to tell you that may not be the case.
In fact, finding ways to relieve sciatica back pain may be simpler than you think.
Why it Matters:
Let’s start with what typically causes sciatica back pain.
Sciatic pain is often caused when a spinal disc, excess bone, or overgrown ligaments begin to pinch on your low back's nerves.
These nerves travel down your buttocks, down the back of your legs, and into your feet.
It might surprise you to learn that disc bulges and herniations are quite common as we get older, and a majority of the time, they don't cause any pain.
That's right.
As a go-to local chiropractor that treats sciatica in Austin, we’ve seen it first-hand more times than we can count.
You can (and may right now) have various spinal disc issues that aren't causing you any pain.
However, if a nerve in your low back were to become “pinched'', your body would almost certainly be sure to let you know about it with a jolt of pain.
That pain may have you thinking that one of the only ways to relieve sciatica back pain must be to “fix” that bulged or herniated disc by cutting it out with surgery…
But that's often not the case.
Ways to Relieve Sciatica Back Pain
We’ve found, and research supports, that non-invasive conservative treatments like those offered in our practice are among the most effective ways to treat and relieve sciatica back pain.
Forget the scalpel.
Think stretching, exercise, and spinal adjustments.
Research indicates that each of these treatment options can help reduce the pinching or compression on your spinal nerves to provide clinically significant relief from the painful symptoms associated with sciatica.
Let’s take a closer look…
● Controlled movement of your spinal joints can help reduce the inflammation and pain associated with a sciatica attack.
● In a recent study involving patients with lumbar disc herniations, researchers observed that participants reported more relief (over 60% more) with spinal adjustments than with spinal injections.
● It's estimated that less than 5% of people with sciatica are good candidates for surgical intervention, and, for that reason alone, surgery should be considered a last resort.
Next Steps:
Let’s set the record straight once and for all…
Having sciatica pain does not mean that you are destined for surgery, and you don’t have to just learn to live with it for as long as possible until that day comes.
A majority of people with disc issues and sciatica can get well using chiropractic care.
And you can be one of them.
There are other ways to relieve sciatica back pain, and it starts by seeing a chiropractor that treats sciatica in Austin.
Your spine is resilient, your spinal discs can heal, and we're here to help.
Just give us a call to get started!
Science Source:
Nerve Root Injections. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2013.