How Gentle Adjustments Can Treat Your Sciatica

A sharp pain that shoots like an electric shock from your lower back down your leg is the hallmark symptom of sciatica, which affects millions of Americans and turns the simplest daily tasks into a painful struggle. 

Often, sciatica can be managed with home care. But left untreated, sciatica can also lead to permanent nerve damage, along with loss of coordination, balance issues, and incontinence in the worst cases.

Fortunately, chiropractic adjustments can be highly effective not only for relieving current symptoms but also for preventing future symptoms.

At Weinerman Pain and Wellness in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Brent Weinerman, DO, and his team are experts in chiropractic, osteopathic, and physical therapy, addressing the root cause of your sciatica. 

Here’s what they want you to know about this sometimes debilitating condition, and how gentle adjustments can provide drug-free relief. 

Sciatica 101

Your spine is composed of a series of bones (vertebrae), forming joints that are separated by spongy discs. The bones form your spinal column, a narrow channel that serves as a conduit for all the nerves in your body. 

The sciatic nerve is the longest in the body, traveling the length of your spine and exiting in your lower back. There, the nerve divides into two branches — one that travels down the right leg and one that travels down the left leg.

Sciatica usually occurs when the sciatic nerve is “pinched” or compressed in the spine. Often, this “pinching” or compression occurs when a disc “slips” or moves out of its normal position. 

Beyond disc issues, you can develop sciatica due to:

• Problems with a hip muscle (a condition called piriformis syndrome)
• Abscesses or cysts
• Muscle spasms
• Tumors
• Nerve or muscular syndromes or disease

If your sciatica pain is acute or chronic, seek professional care. 

At Weinerman Pain and Wellness, we evaluate your spine, medical history, and symptoms before recommending treatment. Often, that treatment is gentle chiropractic adjustments.

Chiropractic adjustments for nagging low back pain

Compared to traditional treatments like medication, chiropractic adjustments offer a major benefit: they’re completely customizable to each patient’s unique needs.

Chiropractic adjustment helps relieve nerve compression and irritation in several ways. First, adjustments help gently coax your spine into its ideal alignment, restore normal disc location, and relieve nerve impingement.

Adjustments also improve circulation in the area, promote healing, support disc and nerve health, and remove toxins produced during the inflammatory process. Your treatment will also focus on improving spinal joint function, relieving muscle tension, and promoting normal movement in your lower back.

Your provider may also recommend at-home stretches and exercises to supplement in-office adjustments. Regular chiropractic visits help maintain spine health and reduce your risk of future sciatica.

Find relief for your sciatica symptoms

Sciatica pain can happen at any time of day or night, interfering with many activities, including sleep. For relief from that ongoing leg pain, tingling, or lower back discomfort, call Weinerman Pain and Wellness at 215-988-9503 today.  We are located at 1617 John F Kennedy Blvd. Ste 1100. Philadelphia, PA 19103.