Make no bones about it, sciatica can be a literal pain in the butt! It’s a condition that is as frustrating as it is common, with almost half of all Americans experiencing it at some point in their lives. Not only can it be quite painful, but it can keep you sidelined from your day-to-day activities and the recreations that you love.
While sciatica can often resolve on its own, many cases will persist for weeks, months, or even years if left untreated. If your sciatica pain is not going away, you may have chronic sciatica caused by an underlying condition. This article will help you understand why your sciatica pain is persisting and how a chiropractor may be able to eradicate it.
Understanding Sciatica
Sciatica is a condition that affects the longest and thickest nerve in the entire body, the sciatic nerve. Rooted where the lower spine and pelvis connect near the gluteal area, it runs along the entire length of either leg into the feet and controls movement in the lower extremities. It also provides the sensation of feeling to the region.
When the sciatic nerve becomes irritated, it can transfer a variety of symptoms from the buttocks to the feet, such as:
- Burning, shooting, or radiating pain from the lumbar region to the feet
- Weakness, numbness, and/or a “pins-and-needles” sensation in the feet and legs
- General discomfort in the leg
- Pain when bending over or when standing from a seated position
- Pain when twisting or rotating the body
The sciatic nerve can become irritated for a variety of reasons. This is because the sciatic nerve is located within a portion of the body that bears a lot of weight under normal conditions. When added pressure or stress is applied to the body or directly onto the nerve, it can become inflamed.
Anything that causes the sciatic nerve to experience more strain than it is designed to can cause sciatica. Some more specific causes of sciatica include but are not limited to:
- Herniated discs
- Spinal misalignment
- Leg length inequality
- Pelvic asymmetry
- Spinal stenosis (a condition that causes the spinal column to narrow)
- Piriformis syndrome
Sciatica pain may improve on its own within a few days or a few weeks if it is sub-acute. However, some cases of sciatica are chronic and could last for months to years without treatment.
Luckily, sciatica does respond well to treatment, and there are some practices that you can do that may prevent sciatica from lasting as long as it would normally.
| Sciatica Treatments You Can Do At Home | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rest | One of the easiest ways to heal sciatica is to get plenty of rest. Your body is capable of healing itself, but it needs time to perform the processes needed to do so, which require consistent rest and sleep. | |
| Heat therapy | Sciatica can often be caused by swollen muscles or ligaments applying pressure to the nerve. Using heat therapy can reduce swelling and relieve pressure on the nerve. | |
| Light stretching and exercises | Engaging in gentle stretches and non-strenuous exercises can make your spine, muscles, and ligaments stronger and more supportive, alleviating the stress placed on the sciatic nerve. Moreover, it can release endorphins that can act as a natural painkiller. | |
| Stay mobile | While you do want to get plenty of rest, you also want to ensure you aren’t sitting too much or for too long. Sitting places extra pressure on the sciatic nerve, and without breaks, uninterrupted pressure can cause inflammation. | |
Why Is My Sciatica Pain Not Going Away?
If the previously listed treatments have little effect, or if your sciatica persists for longer than a few weeks, you likely have chronic sciatica, which is usually caused by an underlying condition such as a herniated disc, postural issues, or spinal stenosis.
When this is the case, it may be time to consider medical treatment for sciatica. Fortunately, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need surgery or intense medical work. Chiropractic care can resolve the true cause of your sciatica.
However, for this to happen, it’s important to identify the root condition of your sciatica. For example, massage therapy can be great at relaxing the muscles around the sciatic nerve to remove pressure from it, and physical therapy can work the muscles and strengthen them to prevent that pressure from returning, but these treatments won’t help long-term when the cause is a herniated disc, SI joint dysfunction, or postural issue.
That’s why you need to partner with an experienced chiropractor who can properly assess your postural and spinal health to figure out the cause of your recurring sciatica pain.
PostureWorks Eliminates Sciatica at the Root
The team at PostureWorks understands the ins and outs of sciatica and its causes. Every patient’s sciatica is different and requires a unique approach for truly long-lasting relief. Chiropractic BioPhysics® is the foundation for our treatment plans because it allows us to properly analyze your medical health using a combination of biology, physiology, physics, geometry, and anatomy to identify the cause of your sciatica.
Our comprehensive analysis allows us to create a customized, non-invasive treatment plan designed to address your sciatica directly. With chiropractic treatment from PostureWorks that leaves no stone unturned, you could avoid major surgery and get back to a pain-free life.
Contact us today if your sciatica pain is not going away or to schedule your appointment with PostureWorks.
Chiropractic BioPhysics®, or CBP, is a deeply researched and results-oriented corrective care technique. CBP-trained chiropractors aim to realign the spine back to health and optimal function. As with all chiropractic care, CBP is conservative, painless, and non-invasive.
