Can chiropractor help sciatica? & Can chiropractor help pinched nerve?

Sciatica is a radiating pain along the pathway of the sciatic nerve.  This pain starts at the lower back and branches out to the hips and buttocks, and down the leg. Sciatica consists of leg pain, which might feel like a bad cramp, or it can be more excruciating, making standing or sitting almost unbearable. Sciatica can occur at random, or it can develop slowly, making it harder to diagnose. You might also feel weakness, numbness, burning or tingling. It is often described as a “pins and needles” sensation down the leg. Symptoms that aren’t as common might include the inability to bend the knee, or move your foot.   Typically, sciatica only effects one side of the body

What Causes Sciatica?

Sciatica is caused by a pinched nerve, most often due to a herniated disc in your spine or because of a bone spur on your vertebrae.   

 Symptoms of Sciatica:

  • Pain that radiates from the lower back to your buttock and down the back of your leg
  • Pain in the buttocks and/or leg that worsens when sitting
  • Burning and/or tingling down the leg
  • Weakness, numbness or difficulty moving the leg or foot
  • A constant pain on one side of the buttocks
  • A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up

Sciatic pain can be mild to excruciating. Symptoms that may constitute a medical emergency include: progressive weakness in the legs and/or bladder/bowel changes including incontinence. Nerve pain is caused by a mixture of pressure and inflammation on the nerve root. Treatment is focused on relieving both of these conditions.

Studies Show Chiropractic Helps With Sciatica

A study in The Spine Journal showed that chiropractic care was effective in helping patients with acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion. The patients were divided into two groups. One group received chiropractic adjustments five days per week and the second group received fake chiropractic care. Those who got the real chiropractic care improved significantly with 55% free of radiating pain vs. 20% of those in the fake group. Additionally, 28% of those who received real chiropractic were free of local pain, versus only 6% of those who got the simulated manipulation. Also, the group with the real care reported using less medications to help with the pain