444 David Street, Albury
House of Hope, Healing & Healthy Families
Sciatica
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is actually just a description, not a diagnosis. It simply means that you have thigh or leg pain. It doesn’t tell you what is causing the pain. The word comes about because of the name of the biggest (and longest) nerve that travels down the back of your thigh and leg is called your sciatic nerve.
Initially nerves travel separately out of the low back and then join together to form the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs from the low back through your piriformis muscle in your bottom, then goes down the back of your thigh, the side of leg and into your foot.
Due to the complex anatomy of the nerve, symptoms are quite different for everyone depending upon where the nerve pressure/ irritation has occurred. Chiropractic care at House of Chiropractic works to find the cause of the irritation and provide Sciatica relief in Albury, and if possible long-term correction.
What are the symptoms of Sciatica?
The symptoms of sciatica can vary substantially. They can begin slowly over months or years or they can be felt intensely immediately. You may feel a dull ache through to sharp knife-like pain.
These are common presentations we see regularly at our Chiropractic practice in Albury:
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Pins and needles in the leg or foot
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Severe stabbing pain into the back of the thigh and leg
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Buttock pain that may or may not go into the thigh
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A burning pain that can travel down one or even both legs
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Pulling or grabbing pain in the buttocks and leg
What are the Causes of Sciatica?
There are many causes. The most common cause of Sciatica in our office is spinal misalignment. Here the spine is misaligned causing nerve pressure or irritation on the nerves as they exit the spinal bones giving you leg pain. If you have hip, knee, or leg pain, it's essential to address your low back.
Pain in your hip, leg, or knee can stem from a problem in your low back.
Other causes of sciatica, but not limited to, are:
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Disc Injuries
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Degenerative Joint Disease
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Spinal canal stenosis
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Spondylolisthesis
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Piriformis Syndrome
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Sacroiliac Joint Problems
Once again, the problem usually begins long before the pain starts
How Can Chiropractic Help Sciatica?
Chiropractic Adjustments (spinal re-alignments) to your low back can improve the function of your hip and leg and remove the pressure off the nerve.
If you are looking for sciatica relief in Albury, House of Chiropractic has been seeing patients with Sciatica for years.
Over 85% of the population will be afflicted with back pain at some point in their life. Many will also have associated leg pain or radiculopathy.
If this sounds like you, know you are in the right place. Our practice is focused on helping people find relief naturally. We use the latest evidence-informed care to ensure you can get back on your feet as soon as possible and find lasting relief.
What Next?
The only way to know what’s wrong and if we can help, is to come in. We will chat, do some simple bone, joint and nerve tests to work out what’s wrong.
We may also take an x-ray. Then we will go from there.
It’s simple, easy and affordable. We have a great team who will make you feel at home. Don’t keep procrastinating. Take time to look after you. Call us on 6009 0999 to book in.
DISC PAIN?
Why Your Discs Matter?
Almost everyone knows someone who has suffered from pain caused by disc problems, a herniated, slipped, or bulging disc. The pain can be so intense that many people think surgery is the only way to correct it.
Well, we have good news. Research has shown people who chose chiropractic adjustments had the same amount of relief as those who chose surgery. And what about those medications that mask the pain but fail to correct the problem? Well, research has shown chiropractic adjustments to be significantly better than many of the common drugs prescribed for back pain.*
Spinal discs play an essential role in your low back, connecting & feeding the spinal bones and giving you the ability to move in many different directions.
Your discs are comprised of two major parts, an outer ring of cartilage which provides support and a jelly-like centre that allows movement. As age, injuries and mis-alignments catch up with us, the discs can deteriorate.
A herniated disc is when the middle (the jelly) of the disc breaks through the outer wall irritating a spinal nerve and causing severe pain in your back or leg. Researchers have found this most often occurs between the ages of 35-50.
What to do with Bad Discs?
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Top-research journal, SPINE, has recommended the use of adjustments for back pain.
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Adjustments were shown to provide significantly more relief than medications
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Adjustments have been shown to be just as effective as surgery for taking care of herniated discs*
Your spinal discs stay healthy by keeping your spine in alignment and having strong muscular support and a full range of motion.
Walking is a safe, cheap and gentle exercise to assist in great muscular support and spinal fitness.
Chiropractic adjustments gently and effectively help restore proper range of motion in your neck, mid-back, and low back.
Combine both walking and Chiropractic adjustments and you could get back to doing the things you love sooner rather than later.
Maybe it’s time to think about having your spine checked? At House of Chiropractic we have been seeing people with disc problems for years.
*Science Source:
Spinal High-Velocity Low Amplitude Manipulation in Acute Nonspecific Low Back Pain. SPINE. 2013
Manipulation or Microdiskectomy for Sciatica? A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2010