Can a Chiropractor help with Sciatica?

Why does sciatica get worse in the night? Is heat or ice better for sciatica? For sciatica, Yoga helps cure sciatica an ice pack or even a heating pad can be used by placing it into the lower back and the gluteal region. Heat is usually better in patients who have sciatica, though patients who are not relieved with heat should also try ice or occasionally rhythmic use of heat and ice, cyclic use of heat or ice may help better than one alone. If it is caused by sciatica, it may be associated with tingling and numbness and occasionally weakness. This surgery is performed from the back of the neck and does not involve fusion of the neck thereby decreasing the restriction of movement of the neck as may be present after laminectomy and fusion surgery. When do I need fusion? Patients who are not having any relief with any of the above-mentioned treatment plans, may need an MRI for confirmation of diagnosis and possibly surgery to relieve their pain.

When sciatica is improving, the pain that radiates from the back into the leg decreases in intensity as well as frequency. Typical patient will present with pain radiating down one leg along the back or the side of the thigh index. Such pain can be confused with the pelvic pain. Sciatic pain can radiate along the back or the outer aspect of the hip and can sometimes be confused with a hip pain and itself. Though short term of bed rest may help relieve pain, longer duration of bed rest causes deconditioning of the back and atrophy of the back muscles, which can lead to worsening of sciatica and back pain and poorer results. Physical therapy may help in decreasing the pain. If pain is not relieved with the medications, physical therapy, chiropractor and acupuncture may also help. Pain in the sole of the foot or on the dorsum of the foot involving either the outer toes or the inner toes may be related to sciatica on examination by the physician along with radiological examination may help find the cause of the pain. Occasionally, medications like amitriptyline, duloxetine and carbamazepine may also be used in some patients to relieve their pain.

Occasionally, sciatica may be associated with the trigger points in the muscles on the side of the back or even into the hip area. Deep massage of these trigger points can help decrease the pain and relieve the spasm. How to massage sciatica trigger points? Pregnancy causes a lot of limitations with regards to treatment of sciatica. Pain due to the pinching of the L4 nerve root causes pain along the front of the lower thigh as well as over the knee and may have radiation into the inner leg. Most of the time, lumbago is due to mechanical causes especially involving weakness or atrophy of the paraspinal muscles. It can also be worsened due to arching the back or leaning backwards. Sciatic nerve is on either side of the lower back. True pelvic pain will usually be on the front of the belly or on the side of the belly. The patient may also take medications including gabapentin or pregabalin for pain relief. To start with, antiinflammatory medications like ibuprofen, naproxen or Tylenol may help. Does massage help sciatica? Sciatica or lumbar radiculopathy involving the L2, L3 and L4 nerve roots present as pain along the front of the thigh.

Sciatic nerve presents with pain along the outer aspect of the back of the thigh, knee, leg and foot. It can cause tingling or numbness along the outer or the back of the thigh, outer or the back of the legs and the top or the bottom of the foot. Though the sciatic nerve runs along the back of the hip and can present with pain along the back of the hip and over the outer aspect of the hip, it is highly unlikely for it to cause groin pain. If the pain is not relieved, other treatment modalities can be discussed including epidural injection. Epidural injection or nerve root blocks may help in relieving the sciatica pain. Car accidents can cause sciatica pain due to irritation of the nerve or radiculitis. Sciatica can be worsened due to activity, prolonged standing, lifting, pushing and pulling things. In patients who have a confusing picture due to underlying comorbidity or atypical presentation, nerve conduction study and electromyographic study can be done to further confirm or rule out sciatica. Surgery may be more often needed in such patients especially if the neurological deficit is still evolving, so as to decrease or elevate the further neurological deficit as well as to optimize the recovery.