About 10-40% of the U.S. population experience sciatic leg pain. The technical term for sciatica is lumbar radiculopathy but it is most often referred to as a pinched nerve. The underlying causes of this nerve pain will vary from one individual to the next but no matter what is causing pain from this nerve, there are plenty of non-invasive ways to treat it.
Sciatic Leg Pain And Its Symptoms
Sciatic pain radiates along the sciatic nerve which is located along the back of your leg all the way down to your foot. Most people experience one side or the other when experiencing this type of pain which can be felt from your lower back all the way down the legs. When the sciatic nerve is compressed by a herniated disc, bone spur, or a spasming/tight muscle due to an accident or injury a number of symptoms can occur.
- Tingling and/or numbness in the lower extremity or extremities
- Muscle weakness
- Prickling sensations
- Sleeplessness
- Loss of mobility
- Sharp, shooting pain down the hip or leg
Most people experience leg pain when dealing with sciatic nerve pain but symptoms will depend on the specific nerve root that is irritated and/or compressed at the origin of the sciatic nerve. The pain people experience can be anything from bouts of irritating pain to severe and debilitating.
Non-Invasive Sciatic Leg Pain Treatment
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger point injections contain a combination of two local anesthetics: lidocaine and bupivacaine. These medications vasodilate the vessels of the muscle allowing more blood flow to the muscle. This in turn provides more oxygen and nutrients, supplying the muscle with much-needed nourishment that it has been lacking while it was tight and “bound up.” In addition to vasodilation, the use of the needle for the injections creates pathways for the blood to flow into the trigger point and supply it with the oxygen and nutrients it has been craving.
Chiropractic Care
The efficacy of chiropractic care has been well known for over a century, with numerous studies showing the practice to be effective in treating back pain, disc issues, sciatica, neck pain, joint pain, dizziness, high blood pressure, and more. It’s an ancient art and science, with manipulations performed by Hippocrates dating back to the 4th Century B.C.
Drug-free and non-surgical, chiropractic care is particularly useful for chronic pain management. Two tools commonly used during a treatment session are arthrostim and the percussor. Arthrostim is like a “little jackhammer” that is able to mobilize the joints without straining the joint or causing the patient discomfort. Arthrostim is used to gently adjust the joints and provide patients with relief and increased mobility. Many of patients enjoy the treatment and the great response that the treatment brings without the “cracking” associated with a traditional manual adjustment. The percussor is a deep tissue myofascial release instrument that is able to release muscle spasms, deep tissue tightness, and muscle strains. Many patients report this is their favorite part of treatment because it is relaxing and helps with built-up tension in their bodies.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy generates a photochemical response in damaged tissue by a process called photobiomodulation. This process stimulates healing on a cellular level by enabling cells to produce energy (ATP) more rapidly. In other words, laser energy can jumpstart recovery in your damaged cells by converting light energy into cellular energy. Laser therapy increases blood flow, decreases inflammation, increases wound healing, and facilitates the body to heal.
Sciatic Nerve Block
Until recently, treatment options for people with degenerative conditions were limited. Not many years ago, steroid injections, prescription medications, and joint replacement surgeries were often the only treatment options offered to patients. Regenerative medicine encourages your body to use its natural ability to heal itself. Unlike treatments that simply address the symptoms, this therapy actually promotes repair of the body to help your body restore degenerated tissues to cushion and repair areas that have aged or been injured. The regenerative medicine therapies we offer fit well with the integrated approach to wellness that we use for all of our treatments at Pain Relief Partners. We seek an approach to overall wellness, addressing the source of issues, rather than just treating symptoms.
It may be recommended that patients receive a combination of treatments depending on their individual needs. At Pain Relief Partners we assess every patient with detail and care to ensure that the best possible treatment plan is offered for your overall health and wellness.
