Sciatica Pain Treatment In Bellevue,WA
Get treated for Sciatica leg pain by award winning Bellevue chiropractic doctors.
Sciatica/Pinched Nerve Specialist
Sciatica or pinched nerve causes pain which radiates in the legs and buttocks. Anything that causes a slight misalignment puts so much pressure on the sciatic nerve resulting in pain. If you are dealing with something similar or know someone who does, you are not alone.
According to Harvard Health, pinched nerves so prevalent that 40% of people all around the globe get it at least once in their lifetime. The older they get, the more often they’ll experience it. This page covers symptoms, causes, and treatment for Sciatica leg pain or a pinched nerve.
ALLEVIATE THE DAILY Sciatica leg pain FROM YOUR LIFE
What Does Sciatica Means?
The term sciatica is used to define nerve pain that radiates across the leg due to a pinched, compressed, or irritated sciatic nerve. The pain can originate from the lumbar spine and travel to the leg and into the backside.
In most cases, the sciatica nerve pain will only affect one side of the body. But, it’s not uncommon to affect both legs at the same time. Sciatica pain is the outcome of an injured sciatic nerve or the area around it that affects the nerve, like the vertebrae. Anything that irritates the nerve can cause sciatica. This nerve is the longest one we have in our body, and it plays a crucial role in connecting the legs, buttocks, and feet to the central nervous system. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to move, feel, or control our legs.
Two Types Of Nerve Disturbances
Our bones are static structures. We need the muscles if we are to move them properly. However, the moment these bones lose their proper flexibility, positioning, or motion, it can result in one of these nerve disturbances:
- Compressed lesion – This is a medical term for a pinched nerve. When the bones, tissues, or muscles apply too much pressure on the nerve, the nerve can get pinched. This type of pressure obstructs the nerve’s normal function, resulting in a lack of sensation, tingling, or pain. This is an infrequent problem.
- Facilitative lesion – When the soft tissues rub on the hard tissue, the nerve root can get chafed, twisted or abnormally stretched. This is a much more common problem people can experience.
Symptoms Of Sciatica
Sciatica pain is easy to recognize. For those who worry if they might be dealing with sciatic pain, here is how you can identify the symptoms. Individuals with sciatica might feel:
- “pins and needles” pricking through the skin
- discomfort and pain (like a burning sensation)
- numbness
- weakness
The symptoms can worsen after they’ve coughed, sneezed, or made sudden movements for some patients. Aside from the foot, legs, and buttocks pain, it’s not uncommon to experience back pain.
If you don’t get help early, the condition can get gradually worse. For some patients, it can lead to severe damage that could impact the rest of their lives. To avoid getting the pain to this stage, all patients should seek on-time treatment. Visit Bellevue Chiropractor if you have any of the symptoms mentioned above.
Long Term Problems Due To Untreated Sciatica Pain
Leaving Sciatica untreated can result in:
- Nerve damage Very rarely, untreated sciatica pain can lead to severe nerve damage with potentially permanent effects. If that were to happen, the pain could get worse. In this stage, pain meds won’t be effective.
- Impaired mobility and loss of feeling The affected area may no longer remain connected to the central nervous system. This will hinder mobility and make daily tasks difficult to complete.
- Lack of bladder control In very rare but extreme cases, the spinal cord may be damaged, which will affect bladder control.
Treatment For Sciatica
Chiropractic treatment helps the body heal itself without using drugs or surgical (invasive) methods. Depending on the type of sciatica pain and the patient’s medical history, a chiropractor can use various treatments. Some of these include:
- Spinal manipulations/adjustments
- Ultrasound
- Cold therapy
Spinal manipulations are at the core of this type of treatment. With gentle pressure and little force, a chiropractor will realign the spine. The ultrasound relies on sound waves to boost blood circulation and reduce pain, inflammation, spasms, and cramping. At the same time, cold therapy is specifically tailored towards managing the pain and reducing inflammation.
Temporary Pain Relief From Sciatica
Self-care is typically not recommended for Sciatica. You can try the following treatments while you wait for your chiropractic doctor’s appointment.
- hot & cold treatment
- stretches
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How Do We Treat Sciatica?
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Medical Insurance Cover Sciatica Treatment?
Typically, insurance covers sciatica treatment, but some therapies, like acupuncture or spinal decompression, may not be included. Check the insurance plan before you ask for treatment.
How Long Does It take from Nerve Irritation to be Reduced?
The nerve irritation will most likely solve itself in a couple of weeks. For the majority of patients, it takes 1 to 2 weeks.
Does Sciatica go away on its own?
Yes. In almost all cases, the pain will dissipate after some time.
What Can Make Sciatica Worse?
Anything from heavy lifting to coughing or sneezing can aggravate sciatica. The moment you put pressure on the nerve, you will experience flare-ups.
Can a chiropractor fix sciatica?
A chiropractor can treat sciatica. This is a non-invasive treatment that doesn’t use any drugs but can soothe the inflammation and reduce the pain. The main goal of chiropractic care is to boost the body’s natural healing process and allow more blood to flow to the muscles. With increased circulation, stiffness, swelling, pain, and discomfort can go away.
Does sitting makes sciatica worse?
To some extent, yes. But, doesn’t treat it. It only makes sitting more comfortable.
What triggers sciatica?
Any changes in the spine that appear with old age can trigger sciatica. This includes bone spurs, disks, etc. But, putting too much pressure and stress on the spine can also trigger it.
What are the first signs of sciatica?
The feeling of constant shooting pain, burning sensation, tingling, numbness, etc.
How do you relieve sciatica nerve pain?
You can try at-home treatments and pain meds, or you can ask your doctor for evaluation. They will determine the next step in relieving the problem.
