How to treat sciatica?
Surprisingly, many sciatica sufferers feel their leg pain far outweighs their back pain. Making sciatica treatment somewhat confusing, and many patients are at a loss for ideas on how to treat sciatica.
The NHS states that 90% of sciatica is due to DISC Herniations, yet NHS Sciatica Treatment plans seem to be a game of wait and hope.
Since our own Clinic Directors battle with disc injuries and nerve pain in the leg, finding solutions and effective sciatica treatments has become the obsession of the clinic. To the point where we have now rebranded as a specialist centre of excellence.
Sciatica treatment fundamentally comes down to the source of the trapped nerve; this, along with the duration of nerve compression, is the major factor affecting treatment decisions.
One of our main keys to success when treatingnerve pain is to start by understanding its complex nature through a thorough examination to assess and diagnose the different structures that could be failing and that feed into DISC damage and nerve irritation.
Anyone who has fallen foul of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ nature of online sciatica exercises knows the importance of this statement!
Most Common Causes Of Sciatica
Disc Herniation
Stenosis
DDD
Spondylolisthesis
Is chiropractic care an effective Sciatica Treatment?
While chiropractic treatment can be effective for nerve pain in the leg, it’s important to choose a chiropractor skilled and experienced in handling disc injuries, as this requires specialised knowledge and techniques.
There is a juxtaposition in the sciatica conversation, as all the following statements are true:
- Acute Disc Injuries don’t respond well to twisting i.e. Manipulation
- 90% of Sciatica is from Disc Injuries (NHS)
- Chiropractors get good results treating leg pain from spinal origins
This means that not all leg pain is nerve pain, and not all disc injuries are severe; most cases fall into the grey area between these extremes, which means results can vary and it’s easy to see why there are millions of suffering patients without access to effective sciatica treatments.
Chiropractic care is generally very safe, yet if you already have disc damage, a manual adjustment could be seen as the thing that flares the issue… It is crucial to find an experienced clinician who knows when it is safe to adjust and, more importantly, when it may not be prudent to do so.
what is the best sciatica treatment?
The best treatment for Radicular Nerve pain often involves a combination of methods, with Spinal Decompression Therapy (SDT) standing out as a key approach due to its effectiveness in relieving nerve pressure.
With nerve pain in the leg being most commonly thought to be caused by a crushed nerve in the lower back, it is no surprise that sciatica treatment focuses on decompressing the nerve.
Surgeons have targeted this with limited success by chopping out the disc or shaving off adjacent bones. However, less than 5% of sciatica cases are deemed suitable for surgery.
Fortunately, there is now a non-invasive form of Decompression that requires no surgery.
Spinal Decompression Therapy (SDT), which is the modern evolution of Spinal Traction.
Key to its success is the ability to create a negative pressure in the disc, sucking in bulges and flooding the disc with healing nutrients, leading to long-lasting results.
Some Of The Key Sciatica Pain Symptoms Are
Leg pain is worse than back pain
Pain passes the knee
Burning tingling or numbness in the leg
The leg feels weak or heavy
Pain is generally only on one side
Pain jumps to the lower leg
Sharp stabbing pain in the leg
Pain on activity/sudden movement
Best Sciatica treatment Continued…
SDT is the workhorse of the clinic’s sciatica program but it’s not the only trick up our sleeve.
Function Mobility
Disc injuries and Sciatica don’t happen in isolation, generally, there is a cascade of dysfunction throughout the spine and pelvis that needs to be addressed alongside the trapped nerve.
In mild cases, Chiropractic Care remains the gold standard but, in those cases, where manual therapy is reactive, Instrument-Assisted Adjusting offers a gentle, yet effective substitute.
Laser Therapy
Non-invasive light energy reduces inflammation and eases pain in tough cases.
Neuro-Muscular Stimulation
Can provide electrifying results by resetting leg pain through electrical stimulation.
Finally, it’s impossible to overestimate the importance of a structured Rehabilitative Program. Please don’t confuse a tailored, individual rehab plan like the one you will receive at The Disc Chiropractors in Surbiton with the millions of internet experts who deliver one-size-fits-all programs, often leaving patients worse off than when they started.
Understanding your condition’s origin massively dictates your ability to perform exercises safely; without an expert assessment, it’s impossible to have peace of mind that you’re on the right track when twinges inevitably happen.
Our unique Sciatica Treatment Protocol offers excellent results in just a few short weeks, with a 93% Satisfaction rating and an average of 80% Improvement.