Sciatica, which is also known as sciatic neuralgia, is a condition that causes pain in the lower back, down the back of the leg, and into the foot. It can make sitting and standing for long periods of time difficult and can lead to weakness, tingling, and numbness in the leg and foot. It will often come and go throughout a person’s lifetime, causing periods of varying degrees of pain and discomfort. If left unchecked, sciatic pain will generally grow worse and the nerve can become permanently injured.
The Benefits of Chiropractic Treatment When suffering from a Sciatica
Chiropractors treat patients of all ages for a wide range of conditions. Many people seek chiropractic intervention more than any other therapeutic intervention. This hands-on therapy focuses on the relationship between the spine’s alignment and how well the different body systems function. Chiropractors use various modalities, including:
- Massage
- Ultrasound
- Traction
- Heat and Cold applications
- Exercise
- Dietary management
People seek chiropractic care for the following proven benefits.
Better Range of Motion
Pain and stiffness can dramatically limit your mobility. You might also compensate for dysfunctional body parts by misusing others, leading to a series of new problems. Spinal misalignments or inflammation around muscles, joints and ligaments can affect how comfortably or efficiently you move. Chiropractors can realign the vertebrae, massage tight muscles, mobilize joints, and apply other techniques to restore the full range of motion.
Better Posture
Chiropractors apply a multi-pronged approach toward helping clients improve their posture. First, they may correct misalignments that lead to slouching from a reduced range of motion. Next, they may prescribe exercises to help strengthen weak muscles that cause the back and shoulders to droop. Finally, they massage overused muscles that make up for weakness elsewhere to allow them to perform their intended function.
Pain Relief
Pain is the most common symptom that inspires people to visit a chiropractor. Pain is usually a sign of misalignment, inflammation, and overuse. Misaligned body parts can cause pressure on surrounding nerves or lead to muscle, ligament, and joint strain that translates as pain. Chiropractors can dramatically reduce their clients’ pain by performing adjustments to relieve tension, realign vertebrae, muscles, or bones, and open the pathways between the spine and nerves throughout the body.
Better Body System Function
Chiropractic adjustments do not only address structural problems; they can impact all of the body’s systems, affecting digestion, circulation, immunity, energy, sleep, and hormone release. Spinal misalignments can cause impingements that may thwart messages from the spine to destinations throughout the nervous system. The result may be poorly functioning systems throughout the body that cause a wide variety of physical or emotional symptoms whose cause may be unclear. Chiropractic treatments realign the spine to ensure that the messages passing through it do not get lost or misinterpreted.
If you struggle to pinpoint why you don’t feel your best, schedule a consultation with an experienced chiropractor from a reputable clinic such as Mid Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic who can target what’s wrong and provide a beneficial treatment plan to help you get back on the road to optimum health.
