Chiropractic Care for Sciatica in Louisville KY?

Sciatica or impingement of the sciatic nerve is a condition that's characterized by pain starting in your lower back and radiating through your buttock and down your leg. Over 3 million people in the US must deal with this problem annually. The symptoms can vary from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation. You might also feel numbness, tingling, or weakness in your leg or foot. Fortunately, you can seek sciatica relief via chiropractic care in Louisville KY.

Typically, sciatica is sometimes misinterpreted as a problem or a diagnosis in or of itself, but it's a result of a set of problems but not the root cause of the pain. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body, and it's the impairment or impingement of this nerve that causes sciatic pain. Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs from your lower back, through your hip and buttock, and down your leg. When something, such as a herniated disc or bone spur, presses on the sciatic nerve, it can cause sciatica.

Sciatic Treatment in Louisville KY

The first thing that a chiropractor does is to try to determine the cause of sciatica. It's only by identifying what's impinging the nerve that the chiropractor can develop a treatment plan to relieve the pressure and pain. Some common causes of sciatic nerve pain include:

• Herniated Disc: Also called a slipped disc, this is a condition in which the discs that cushion your vertebrae become damaged and begin to bulge out or rupture.
• Spinal Stenosis: This is a condition in which the spinal canal narrows, putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.
• Piriformis Syndrome: The piriformis muscle, which runs from the hip to the spine, irritates or squeezes the sciatic nerve.
• Spondylolisthesis: One of the vertebrae can slip out of place and press on the sciatic nerve.
• Degenerative Disc Disease: The discs between the vertebrae break down and become less effective at cushioning and absorbing shocks.
• Pregnancy: The extra weight you carry during pregnancy can pressure the sciatic nerve.
• Wear and tear on the lower spine and age-related changes in the spine can lead to sciatic nerve pain.

How Do Chiropractic Adjustments Help Sciatica Pain?

Once the underlying cause is determined, a chiropractor at TRICORE Healing Center will develop a treatment plan to address it. This plan may include a combination of chiropractic adjustments, spinal manipulation, and other therapies.

During an adjustment, your chiropractor will use his or her hands to apply precise and gentle pressure to the vertebrae with the intention to realign them. Because the spinal column encases the nervous system, improper alignment and slipped or herniated discs can compress or pinch the nerves and cause pain. The sciatic nerve may also be compromised due to years of poor posture, sitting for long, or repetitive motions. Chiropractic adjustments can help take the pressure off the sciatic nerve and provide relief from pain.

In many cases, because adjustments can take the pressure off the sciatic nerve quickly, patients start to feel relief almost immediately. However, it's important to continue getting routine adjustments over time to achieve lasting results.