Anyone suffering from sciatica in Orinda CA knows that it’s a painful condition that can be debilitating when severe. Sciatica can affect your mobility, making it difficult to perform daily activities without causing pain. While many people have experienced or at least heard of sciatica, not everyone knows exactly what it is or how it’s caused. It’s often thought of as a disorder in and of itself, but sciatica is actually a symptom of a bigger problem. It typically indicates the presence of a herniated disk in the spine or, more rarely, a spinal bone spur or tumor. If left untreated, the cause of sciatica could develop into a major health problem.
WHAT CAUSES SCIATICA IN ORINDA CA?
When the sciatic nerve is compressed or “pinched” by a herniated disk or other cause, pain radiates down from the lower spine, into the buttock, down the back of the thigh and sometimes all the way down into the calf or toes. Sciatica symptoms are usually felt along the nerve’s pathway on just one side of the body, but some patients report pain on both sides. Pain can be constant or intermittent. It can even change sides. Sufferers may experience different sensations in the same leg at the same time, like burning in the thigh and numbness in the calf. The types of discomfort associated with sciatica include:
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Feelings of electrical shock
- Burning sensations
- Muscle weakness
- Dull aching pain
Acute sciatica can sometimes be successfully treated with rest, hot and/or cold packs, gentle stretching and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen. But if your sciatica pain has lasted more than six weeks or if it was caused by a violent injury, it’s time to seek professional help.
SCIATICA AND YOUR CHIROPRACTOR
Our focus at Orinda Chiropractic Center is whole-body wellness. That means we don’t just treat the pain related to sciatica, we treat the cause. Our chiropractor will begin treatment with a full assessment to make certain chiropractic care is the best approach for your condition. If a herniated or “bulging” disk is causing compression on the sciatic nerve, Dr. Wong will develop a treatment plan to address your specific needs.
Chiropractic care is an effective, non-invasive, drug-free method for treating-and eliminating-sciatica caused by a herniated disk. Through treatments such as spinal decompression, cold laser therapy and ergonomic education, we can begin decreasing your pain immediately as we work to correct the dysfunction and return your spine to optimal wellness. When the spine is properly aligned and the herniated disk is relieved, sciatica pain will naturally be eliminated.
Chronic sciatica is a symptom of nerve and spinal dysfunction and should be taken seriously. Left untreated, the causes of sciatica could lead to permanent nerve damage, loss of feeling in the affected leg or loss of bowel and bladder function.
If you’ve been diagnosed with a herniated disk or are experiencing the discomfort of sciatica, don’t wait for treatment. Call our office today and learn more about how chiropractic care can alleviate your pain.