Atlas Chiropractic Care Treats Sciatica

Lower back pain can be one of the more painful experiences a person can have. Pain that starts in the lower back and runs through the buttocks, down the spine and into the leg is a possible sign of sciatica. Other symptoms of sciatica include numbness and tingling. The sciatic nerve is the longest in the body, running from the pelvis through the hip and down each leg. The sciatic nerves and its' branches control the muscles in your legs and provide feeling to the legs and feet. Sciatica is a term used to refer to pain that comes from disruptions to the sciatic nerve.

The intensity of sciatic pain can vary from a mild ache to immobilizing pain. Sharp pain, burning sensations or a sudden wave of pain similar to being electrocuted are common. Pain often worsens over time and normal activities like sitting, sneezing or laying down can become quite painful. Bed rest will cause the pain to worsen as well.

Common Causes of Sciatica

Trauma can cause discs in the spine to move out of alignment pinching nerves. Dr. David Nygaard of Atlas Family Chiropractic in Asheville, NC explains the cause of sciatica: "Much of the time sciatica is caused by a bulging or herniated lumbar disc. Inflammation, tightness or spasms of the piriformis muscles that lies over the sciatic nerves puts pressure on the nerve and can also cause sciatic pain. It's easy to trace some spinal problems to an event, such as a car accident. Yet, sciatica is often the result of cumulative damage. Years of bad posture, poor muscle tone, excess weight or countless other causes sets the stage. Then, something simple like bending over to tie your shoes can trigger an episode. Spinal decay can be another culprit. Instead of disc thinning that puts pressure on the sciatic nerve roots, arthritic bone spurs can intrude into the space normally reserved for the nerve."

Fortunately Atlas chiropractic care and spinal decompression have been shown to be effective in treating sciatic pain.

Non-invasive Treatment for Sciatica

Invasive surgery and medication are sometimes recommended for sciatic pain. However, chiropractic adjustments have proven to be a safe alternative to surgery. Muscle relaxers might afford some relief if the cause is the pirifomis muscle, but they will not fix the problem and long-term use of such medication has its' own risks.

When discs, muscles or tendons are out of alignment they cause crowding, stress and inflammation around nerves that leads to pain. Chiropractic adjustments can decompress spinal nerves. And, after specific analysis, and often times x-rays, specific gentle spinal adjustments are performed to address spinal fixation by creating motion and, ideally, correction of the mechanical issues found during analysis.

Spinal decompression is also effective as it gently distracts spinal joints helping discs to once again have access to essential nutrients and hydration, allowing the disc to heal.

Dr. David Nygaard believes that the best way to heal is by allowing the body to heal itself. "Actually, chiropractic treatment doesn't cure anything. Only your body can do that. The chiropractic approach to sciatica (and other health problems) is to help restore the way your spine works, reducing nerve irritation and revitalizing your own healing ability."

Atlas orthogonal chiropractors like Dr. David Nygaard use highly-advanced equipment to diagnose misalignments of the spinal column and through gentle, painless adjustments realign spinal bones so the healing can begin.

Pain Relief Results

In Dr. David Nygaard's experience, most sciatica patients are delighted with the results they get after a few weeks or months of care. "Naturally, relief varies from patient to patient. After a relapse or two, many patients discover that years of neglect have produced spinal instabilities that never fully heal. These patients often elect to continue with periodic chiropractic checkups," he explains.
For more information, visit:
http://atlasfamilychiropractic.net

Bryan Sullivan is the Executive Vice President of Write Away, Inc. - a public relations and marketing firm based in Weaverville, NC. He also often writes for regional& national publications about local history, farming, culture and food. He graduated with a degree in communications from Alfred University in New York State and then went on to attend culinary school in NYC where he graduated in the top percent of his class. He proceeded to work in high-end restaurants in New York City, Martha's Vineyard, MA and Naples, FL. Bryan currently lives in Asheville, NC with Liisa and their Black Lab, Annie.
For more information, visit:
http://atlasfamilychiropractic.net