Sciatica and Chiropractic Treatment

Understanding Sciatica – And What You Can Do About It

Your body is full of nerves, and many of them share the same pathways to the spinal cord. When pain signals travel to your brain, they can get a bit mixed up. This is why pain from one area sometimes feels like it is coming from somewhere else. A classic example is feeling pain in your left arm during a heart attack — this is called referred pain..

How We Approach Treatment Of Sciatica

When it comes to sciatica, waiting it out is rarely the best choice. Some people are told to give it six weeks, hope they feel better, and take painkillers while they wait. But this approach often leads to longer-term problems.

It makes more sense to look at the root cause of the issue. Sciatica is usually caused by a mechanical problem in the spine, often involving a disc. So rather than just managing pain, we focus on understanding what caused the problem in the first place — and how to fix it.

The first step is always a proper diagnosis. A chiropractic assessment, including a detailed neurological check, can help us understand exactly what is causing your pain and how best to help.

Your First Steps to Recovery

If you are dealing with a disc injury, it is important to stop aggravating the problem. Try to avoid bending, lifting, and sitting for long periods. It is useful to wear support for your back, too. Gentle walking is good exercise, but swimming might not be the best option at first.

Getting the function of your spine back to normal with Chiropractic treatment and calming down the inflammation are key to helping you feel better. Your recovery plan might also include working closely with your doctor. In some cases, short-term use of pain relief or anti-inflammatory medication may help, and you may need some time off work to heal properly.

Once you start improving, your Chiropractor can guide you through an effective exercise programme to support your recovery and help prevent the problem from coming back.

What About Surgery?

Surgery is sometimes necessary, but only in more serious cases. It should always be the last resort. Research also suggests that people who avoid surgery often do better in the long run. 

One important exception is if you notice changes in your bowel or bladder habits, or numbness in the area you would sit on a saddle — these could be signs of a condition called cauda equina syndrome. If you notice these symptoms, go to the hospital right away. Quick treatment can reverse the symptoms.

How Long Will It Take to Recover?

Your Chiropractor will talk with you about how often you may need treatment. Recovery takes time and is different for everyone. It depends on how severe the problem is, how long it has been there, and how active you are in your own care.

In most cases, it is realistic to expect improvement over a couple of months, rather than just a couple of weeks.

Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatica

Chiropractors regularly treat disc problems, and research shows that many people feel better with this kind of care. In fact, studies have found that chiropractic treatment is more effective than heat therapy, exercises, posture tips, or even conventional physiotherapy.

At Isis Chiropractic Centres, we use a mix of highly targeted manual techniques along with tailored exercise programmes to help restore function and ease your pain.

We also have Intermittent Disc Distraction (IDD) treatment, which has been a fantastic way to help our patients with disc injuries. And we have both TECAR and Low-Level Laser treatment to help with recovery from injuries, such as sciatica.

What Can You Do to Help Yourself?

Disc injuries vary from mild outer tears to more serious disc herniations. While some cases may require surgery, most do not, and we want to keep it that way.

There are plenty of things you can do to support your recovery. Please visit our page on self-care for disc injuries to learn more about how you can help your body heal. Read more about disc injuries here and what you can do to prevent disc injuries.

We are here to support you every step of the way.