Bottom Line:
Nearly everyone will have back pain at some point in their life, but with sciatica — well, you'll know something is different right away! So, what is sciatica? What is sciatica pain like? Sciatica really describes a set of symptoms rather than a condition. The most common symptom can be described as pain that begins in your lower back, travels down through your buttocks, and extends down your leg, usually on just one side of the body. That shooting pain down your leg is often caused by compression of the sciatic nerve or one or more of the other nerves exiting your spine. And it might surprise you to know that even a tiny amount of pressure can result in a tremendous amount of pain. So, getting rid of the associated inflammation and then opening up space for the nerve are both essential steps on the path to finding relief. That's where we come in. If you're looking for a chiropractic-focused sciatica doctor in St. Croix County, you've come to the right place. We specialize in providing gentle spinal manipulative therapy, along with other soft tissue and movement based treatments, to help you treat your sciatica pain naturally. Sciatica pain leads many people to think their "condition" must be so serious it can only be healed by a surgeon. Or that they must need spinal injections. Or that they must resort to prescription pain medications. We've even heard patients refer to their pain as sciatica attacks! So, when they are told that chiropractic treatment can provide the same level of pain relief as those invasive interventions — well, it sounds too good to be true.
Why it Matters:
Let's talk about the function of pain for a moment. Pain is your body's way of signaling to you that something needs your attention. So, what is sciatica pain? A signal. Think of it as your body saying, "Pay Attention Inside Now!". When a problem occurs in the body, due to ergonomic stress, fatigue, or degenerative changes, the body uses pain as a signal for us to pay attention and act. And believe it or not, pain is usually the last thing to show up and the first thing to leave, whether we’re talking about injuries or spinal conditions. To understand why we recommend seeing a chiropractic doctor in Baldwin, and why our non-invasive methods work, it helps to take a closer look at a common underlying cause of sciatica pain. Just like you’ve probably Googled “What is sciatica?” a time or two in your life, you’ve probably also Googled “What is a pinched nerve?" The pinching or compression of a spinal nerve can occur because of an injury to one of your spinal discs (such as disc herniation), the development of a bone spur, or even ligaments that have simply increased in size. Whatever the underlying issue, it's likely to cause noticeable levels of pain and discomfort until you've taken steps to decrease the inflammation and open up space for the affected nerve, and, in many cases, also taken steps to also improve the movement of the surrounding spinal joints. Check, check, and check! We can help. You don't have to live in pain, and you don't have to settle for surgery, injections, or pain medications. You deserve better. So, what is sciatica? A set of very specific symptoms signaling the presence of an underlying condition that chiropractic care can help resolve — no surgery, injections, or pain medications required. Top research publications have shown that people struggling with sciatica pain can get fantastic results with chiropractic care. In fact, in one recent study, researchers found that 60% of participants with symptomatic cases of sciatica benefitted from chiropractic care (adjustments in this case) to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention (again, without any of the risks!). And what many may not know is that beyond adjustments, exercise and rehab can also help strengthen the muscles supporting your spine to reduce the likelihood of a relapse. Yes, we do that too!
Next Steps:
There's no doubt about it. At the end of the day, what is sciatica? A seemingly sudden onset of pain, numbness, or weakness in your legs that can be scary. So, if you experience any of these symptoms, take the signals from your body seriously, and give us a call. We've helped many people recover from sciatica without the need for drugs or surgery. Scheduling an evaluation with a holistically focused sciatica doctor in Baldwin like us today is how you take the first step towards finding lasting relief from sciatica pain!
Science Source: Manipulation or Microdiskectomy for Sciatica? JMPT. 2010.
