Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. Typically, sciatica affects only one side of your body. It’s usually caused when a herniated disc or bone spur in the spine presses on the nerve.
Sciatic nerve pain is typically described as:
- Numbness or weakness in one leg
- Tingling or burning sensation down the leg
- Pain in the leg that increases when sitting
- Pain on one side of the lower back
- Sharp pain making it difficult to stand up
The pain associated with sciatica can be pretty intense, causing the individual to experience a lower quality of life and miss out on activities he or she enjoys. Thankfully, both chiropractic and massage can assist in not only alleviating sciatic nerve pain, but can help address the source of the problem to prevent future flare-ups.
Through spinal manipulation, chiropractors can adjust the spine so it returns to a state of alignment, relieving the pressure on the sciatic nerve. Because the spine or an associated disc is typically the origin of sciatica, adjustments are the core of a sciatica treatment plan.
When the muscles surrounding the sciatic nerve are tense, this only increases the pressure and, as a result, the pain. Massaging these tense muscles may help to reduce pressure on your sciatic nerve. Soft tissue massage may also help to increase your pain threshold by stimulating the release of endorphins.
One technique our LMT uses is the “Piriformis pin and stretch” – the piriformis muscle is located right above the sciatic nerve. By relieving tension in this muscle and getting the muscle to elongate again, it can also sometimes relieve the nerve pain as well.
Lifestyle changes are often essential for sciatica treatment. We can show you how to correct and improve your every day movements to ensure a life with less pain and more joy!
Best of health,
Dr. Chad M. Hoffman
Lifestyle Chiropractic & Wellness
(920) 499-3333
drhoffman@greenbaychiro.com
