How to Handle Sciatica With Chiropractic Care
By Sandy Schroeder
If you have sciatica, you may be struggling with ongoing pain and looking for ways to stay mobile. That's where chiropractic comes in.
The Joint Chiropractic clinic near you provides licensed chiropractors who will assess the situation to see if chiropractic is the right choice for you.
Sciatica is nerve pain triggered by irritation of the sciatic nerve in the lower back that runs down the back of each leg. Symptoms are radiating pain in the lower back that moves down the leg, numbness, and tingling and weakness in legs or feet.
Chiropractic can be a safe, non-addictive, non-invasive choice compared to prescription or over-the-counter pain pills or surgery.
See Your Chiropractor
When you talk with your chiropractor, you will learn how improved spinal health can help. Gentle targeted spinal adjustments reduce joint restrictions or misalignments in the spine and other joints in the body and improve the performance of the affected joint and the nervous system. Inflammation drops back and joint function improves to help you handle sciatica.
As you assess the benefits, you may use weekly 15-minute spinal adjustments to continue to improve. Your chiropractor will monitor your sciatica and suggest more guidelines, such as these from Harvard Health.
Staying Active and Reducing Pain
Here are some tips to keep you comfortable despite sciatica.
Keep moving to deal with pain - It may be tempting to just sit, but staying active is crucial to effectively deal with sciatica. Moving boosts blood flow to painful areas to encourage healing. Moving strengthens the muscles that help support the spine, keep you flexible, and maintain your range of motion.
Use cold and heat - Ease the pain and move better with ice packs and heat whenever you need them. Start with ice for seven days by putting ice packs on the lower back to reduce inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Wrap ice packs in a towel to protect the skin. Limit them to 15 to 20 minute treatments with a 20-minute breaks between treatments. Watch for changes in pain and mobility.
Use heat packs or heating pads as a follow-up with a maximum of two hours for a treatment to relax muscles and ease pain. Warm showers or baths help too.
When you are ready to find the best solutions stop by The Joint Chiropractic clinic near you. Walk-ins are welcome and affordable personal healthcare plans eliminate the hassle of insurance.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Atlanta, Ga.