Sciatic back pain, or sciatica, is a common condition that generates pain when the sciatic nerve is pinched. Those who have experienced it, describe it as an electric shock and a feeling of numbness n the affected leg. The cause of it can be anything, but the most common is a herniated disk in the spine that puts pressure on the sciatic never. At times, it can occur due to the narrowing of the spine and consequent pressure on the nerve. Many times, the nerve feels pressure from a bone spur and triggers back pain.

In most cases, sciatica relief comes on its own, but when it doesn’t, consulting a medical provider for treatment is mandatory. Otherwise, it could permanently damage the sciatica nerve with gradual numbness in the affected leg. It could get scary when patients with sciatica back pain lose control of their bladder and bowel.

Now, the question is: can the medical provider you are visiting be a chiropractor or an osteopath? Let’s find out from the upcoming sections.

How Can an Osteopath Bring Sciatica Pain Relief?

An osteopath diagnoses Sciatica by advising the patient to go for a detailed physical examination and generate a medical history. Normally, these are enough unless the severity of the symptoms grows and the osteopath suspects the requirement of surgery or a corticosteroid injection. However, during such a case, expect your Osteopath to transfer your case to an Orthopaedic specialist and an MRI.

When an Osteopath looks over the case of Sciatic back pain, the medical professional uncovers the underlying cause of the pain. Based on it, the expert work towards improving joint mobility, easing muscle spasms and enhancing spinal functional movement. All of these are aimed to relieve the affected areas of stress.

As for treatments, an Osteopath manipulates the joint and tendon to relieve the sciatic nerve from pressure. Once the pain alleviates, expect rehabilitation exercises to prevent the pain episodes from recurring. On following the exercise regime that an osteopath advises, the patient will finally witness the restoration of mobility, activation of muscles and fortification of postural strength.

How Can a Chiropractor Ease Sciatica Back Pain?

A chiropractor focuses on the structure and function of the spine. The medical practitioner checks the effects of the spine on musculoskeletal and neurological systems. The underlying reason is simple: if the structure of the system is fine and functions well, the body will heal by itself.

Coming back to lower back pain, chiropractic medications take care of the dysfunctions in the lower spine. It would be wrong to highlight a single treatment for sciatic pain in patients. After all, the cause of back pain varies from one individual to another. Usually, chiropractic medication involves adjustments to restore the position of vertebrae and tweak the spine’s health. The outcome is more than just the alleviation of pain. It leads to improvement in joint mobility and causes the range of motion to widen.

Chiropractic care involves release work, motion palpation and instrumental adjustments. Stretches and light exercises are also a part of the treatment to relieve pain and again, improve mobility. However, not all receive the same level of treatment.

A treatment plan is devised depending on the patient’s condition. It could include spinal adjustments, heat therapy, cold therapy or nerve spinal adjustments, heat therapy, cold therapy or nerve stimulation. Every medication has its fair share of benefits. For instance, ice therapy lowers inflammation. Similarly, nerve stimulation provided through a muscle-stimulating machine lowers the intensity of muscle spasms. On the contrary, the heat therapy applied by a chiropractor causes circulation to improve in the area surrounding the sciatic nerve and lower cramps, swelling, muscle spasms and stiffness.

Wrapping up:

From the discussion above, it is evident that a chiropractor and an osteopath can do wonders in sciatic pain relief. You can find both specialists at Five Dock Osteopathic and Chiropractic. However, simply depending on them is never enough. If you put in the effort from your side too, you can get over this painful experience in a jiffy. For instance, never sit or drive for too long. Always walk and gently stretch yourself. Avoid lifting heavy objects and gardening when undergoing pain. For more information, consult the medical practitioners at Five Dock Osteopathic and Chiropractic.