Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatica

Sciatica is a condition that indicates disorder with the sciatic nerve that runs down from the lower back to the back of your legs. This nerve manages the muscles behind your knees, lower legs and thigh; the feet and parts of the lower leg. Chiropractic treatments are is commonly used for treating sciatica. Patients who suffer from sciatica have numbness, excruciating pain, and tingling in their leg. The pain often starts in the lower back and them extends down to the legs, calves, feet, and even to toes. Sciatica generally affects only one side of your body.

Chiropractic is the one of the most accepted treatments for Sciatica. Chiropractic treatment revolves around treating the spine and back. Chiropractic doctors are also considered as sciatica specialists. If you have been suffering from sciatica for ages, you may opt for Chiropractic treatments. Chiropractic doctors offer non-invasive and drug-free treatments for sciatica. Chiropractors believe that the human body can heal on its own. Chiropractic methods include diet counseling, massage therapy, TENS treatment and work outs for sciatica.

Before beginning with the treatment, a chiropractic practitioner may ask several questions about your medical history, perform a thorough physical check up, and ask you get x-rays and MRIs done. A thorough medical examination is essential for good chiropractic treatment.

Chiropractors use different varieties of treatment models, the generally concentrate on the usage of manual spine manipulations, known as the chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic theories state that health can be optimized through unhindered and open neurological pathways. A chiropractic treatment schedule for sciatica generally includes:

1. Cold /Ice Packs: This unique chiropractic technique uses cold or ice packs that help in reducing inflammation, and the pain due to sciatica.

2. Spinal Manipulations: Spinal manipulations or adjustments are done by the chiropractors for realigning the spine. This technique separates a chiropractic practitioner from other medical practitioners. Certain parts of a badly aligned spine may become the cause of inflammations, muscle spasms, pains, and sciatica. Spinal adjustments relieve irritated nerves. Chiropractic manipulations or adjustments are very helpful in treating sciatica.

3. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS: The TENS unit is used in chiropractic treatments to transmit painless electrical currents to the nerves, to control the pain, through the skin. Electrode bits are placed near or on the affected area.

Even though the TENS instrument used by chiropractors is quite large, several patients are handed a compact size portable device, which is attached to a belt. This system majorly helps to relieve muscle stiffness, spasm, and improves mobility. All this is done by pinging the human system to generate endorphins. Endorphins help in killing body pain naturally.

4. Ultrasound: Ultrasound is commonly used by chiropractors as it helps in increasing blood circulation. This in turn reduces cramping, stiffness, muscle spasms, swelling, and pain. Ultrasound machines send deep sound waves into the body's tissues. These waves create bearable heat and improve healing and blood circulation.

Under certain special circumstances, chiropractic care may not be able to cure sciatica. In such situations, your chiropractic practitioner will refer you to an appropriate specialist.