Treatment For Sciatic Pain

Being involved in a car accident is a frightening and traumatic experience that often leaves the driver and any occupants injured. While adrenaline may prevent immediate pain, your body will let you know the truth in due time. The most common injuries associated with car accidents are whiplash and spinal injuries like herniated discs, but many car accident victims end up suffering from sciatic pain.

If the sciatic nerve was pinched during a car accident, then it can produce debilitating back pain. You’ll often feel it in the lower back and the pain can even run down the back of each leg. This can become a long-term or even chronic issue which is why chiropractic treatment is recommended for sciatic pain sufferers. If you live in Bradenton, then you should book an appointment at the Manasota Accident & Injury Center.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is the name attributed to the pain that runs along the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs from your lumbosacral spine (lower back) through your hips, buttocks, and proceeds down each leg. Oftentimes, when one suffers an injury leading to sciatica, the pain will only occur on one side of your body at a time. Sciatica in and of itself is not an actual injury but a symptom that is caused by some sort of pinching or irritation of a nerve; the pinching of the nerve can be caused by injury or disease.

Symptoms of Sciatica

The symptom of sciatica is often pronounced and life-altering to those affected in the short term. Trying to find a comfortable position can feel next to impossible; sitting, walking, even laying in bed can be difficult and painful for those dealing with this issue.

Common symptoms typical to Sciatica include:

• Radiating pain from your lower back down your leg- the pain can vary in intensity from mild to severe and can change depending on position or movement.
• A sensation of pins and needles – a term often used to describe the often painful tingling sensation on the side of the affected leg or foot.
• Feelings of weakness or numbness in the affected leg along the sciatic nerve.

Treatment Options for Sciatica

When it comes to sciatica pain most medical treatment options offer a wait and see approach, that focuses more on relieving the pain rather than finding or treating the root of that pain.

Medications such as over-the-counter pain relievers, prescription muscle relaxants, and pain medications are often the first options provided. In severe cases of sciatica, some patients may be provided steroid injections and a small percentage that does not improve may have to undergo surgery.

Physical Therapy For Sciatica

People who suffer from sciatica often work with a physical therapist in conjunction with other health specialists for treatment. Physical therapy works to relieve symptoms, heal the underlying causes of pain, and prevent flare-ups through exercises and stretching.

Here are some physical therapy exercises that work best for sciatic pain relief:

• Extension and Flexion Back Exercises: Uses specific directional movement of the spine to help promote pain relief.
• The Mckenzie Method: A method that concentrates on identifying the source of pain in the spine through directional movement. Physical therapists trained in this method work to reduce radiating pain symptoms of sciatic pain.
• Strengthening Exercises: These involve bodyweight and resistance exercises used to strengthen the muscles that support your spine.
• Functional Retraining: This involves retraining people to use proper lifting, bending, and twisting techniques to avoid further injury and pain.
• Nerve Glides (Nerve Mobilization): Uses passive or active techniques to reduce pain in symptomatic nerves.
• Joint Mobilization: This technique uses manual pressure on the joint to provide symptom relief and mobilization.
• Joint Manipulation: A technique that is often used by chiropractors, joint manipulation uses a controlled thrust on the joint to restore normal function and promote pain relief.
• Dry Needling: A licensed practitioner uses small needles inserted into targeted muscles to reduce pain and release contracted muscles.
• Muscle Energy Technique: This technique involves making gentle contractions of specific muscles while a therapist moves the targeted joint through a range of motion to provide relief.
• Myofascial Release: Therapists use this technique to help with muscle spasms and tension by using their hands or a specialized tool to move fascial (underlying soft tissue) in the muscles.
• Gait Training: A therapist helps to analyze and correct a patient’s gait in order to improve pain symptoms while walking and moving.
• Active Assisted Range of Motion: This technique involves the therapist manually assisting the patient through a range of motion to promote movement in painful muscles or stiff joints.

Chiropractic Treatment For Sciatic Pain

Chiropractic treatment is a safe, non-invasive form of treatment for people with sciatica. Visiting a chiropractor is a great option for people who are looking to attain sciatic pain relief without relying on medication. A chiropractor can use a number of different techniques to diagnose and treat the root of your pain symptoms:

• Chiropractic Adjustments
• Spinal Decompression
• Chiropractic Exercises
• Hydrotherapy Massage
• Ultrasound Therapy
• K-Laser Therapy
• Electrical Stimulation Therapy
• Heat and Cold Therapy

At Manasota Accident and Injury Center, our focus is on providing long-term relief from sciatica through natural treatments. Our licensed chiropractors have decades of experience in helping people recover from sciatic pain.

Pain medication treatment for sciatica only helps to mask your pain symptoms. This form of treatment does not actually treat your pain at the source. The focus of our treatment is to diagnose the source of your sciatic pain and work to treat the real cause of symptoms. Chiropractic treatment is gentle, safe, and does not come with the risk of addiction or the risks associated with surgery.