Chiropractor

There are various ailments that can be treated or managed with Chiropractic care. Among them is a condition called Sciatica. A Chiropractor can help you understand and manage this problem.

What Should You Know About Sciatica?

Sciatica is nerve pain in the leg that’s caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve. This pain originally starts in the lower back, radiates into the buttock and travels down the affected leg. Your sciatic nerve branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks, and eventually down both legs. However, sciatica will only affect one side of your leg. Sciatica is most common after you’ve developed a herniated disk, bone spur on the spine, or narrowing of the spine (spinal stenosis). These things can cause compression of the nerve, which causes inflammation, pain and numbness.

What Does Sciatica Feel Like?

The symptoms of sciatica are felt along the path of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica pain is felt as a constant burning sensation, sometimes a shooting pain, starting in the lower back and buttocks, and then it radiates down the legs. It can affect the feet as well. Numbness is another symptom of sciatica pain. This numbness may appear in the back of the leg, or as tingling and weakness.

One-sided symptoms are common too because sciatica only affects one side of the body at a time, typically. It can affect both legs together, but it’s extremely rare.

Posture induced symptoms mean that sciatica may feel worse while sitting, trying to stand, bending your knees, bending your spine forward, twisting the spine, or laying down. Symptoms may be relieved by applying heat to the rear pelvic region.

Causes of Sciatica

Sciatica happens when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched. This is usually by a herniated disk in your spine, or a bone spur on your vertebrae. The nerve can be compressed by tumors or damaged by diseases like diabetes, too.

Risk Factors for Sciatica

Risk factors for sciatica include:

•     Age-related changes to your spine, like herniated disks, bone spurs, and other similar issues are the most common cause.
•     Obesity increases the stress on your spine and excess body weight can cause your spine to change and that can trigger sciatica.
•     Occupations that tell you to twist your back, carry heavy loads or drive a vehicle for long periods of time may cause sciatica too. Sedentary lifestyles can worsen and cause sciatica as well.

Complications

While people can fully recover from sciatica, sometimes you can have permanent nerve damage caused by the disease. This means you may experience:

•     Loss of feeling in the leg that’s affected.
•     Weakness in your affected leg for a lengthy period of time.
•     Loss of bowel and bladder function.

Prevention

To prevent sciatica, there are some things you can do, but the condition is not always able to be avoided:

Seeking the expert advice of a Chiropractor in Rockville, MD should be a priority. To treat ailments, a chiropractor may perform adjustments on specific points on your body. With controlled force, he or she can adjust your elbow, neck, shoulder or back so that it aligns better with your body. A chiropractor from a chiropractic clinic such as AmeriWell Clinics may also suggest applying heat or ice to painful joints to reduce inflammation, and may recommend rehabilitative exercises to do at home.

Exercising regularly will keep your back strong. You want to pay special attention to your core muscles, like your abdomen and lower back, because you want to be able to hold proper posture and alignment. Your lumbar disc herniation doctor can help you determine the best exercises for your case. You can maintain proper posture while sitting and use good body mechanics when you are standing for long periods of time.