Can Chiropractic Care Help My Sciatica Pain?

Your sciatic nerve is the longest and largest of all the nerves in your body. Starting in your lower back, it branches out on either side at your pelvis and runs down the length of each leg. When compressed or pinched, the result is called sciatica, which affects up to 40% of people at some point in their lives. 

Signs of sciatica can range from mild to severe, and your symptoms may fluctuate according to your activity level. When the sciatic nerve is compressed, you might report the following symptoms in the affected leg and buttock:

• Shock-like, radiating pain
• Numbness
• A “pins and needles” sensation
• Weakness (in severe cases only)

In significant cases of sciatica, urinary or fecal incontinence might also occur. If you have sciatica, you’ll likely experience pain, tingling, or burning alone. 

Even if your sciatica pain is mild, finding an effective way to manage it can improve your quality of life. Integrative care providers Steven Gentry, DC, and Jeffrey Oppenheimer, MD, are committed to helping you discover effective treatment at ChiroCare Therapy in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. As a board-certified chiropractor, Dr. Gentry works closely with you to reduce sciatica pain and elevate your quality of life. 

When to consider chiropractic care for sciatica

Chiropractic care is an effective method to manage sciatica. Since chiropractors align your spine and joints, the process can alleviate sciatic nerve compression. Many conditions and structural irregularities in and around your spine can compress the nerve, and Dr. Gentry can gently adjust your spine to give the nerve the space it requires for comfort. 

Chiropractic care is an excellent option for managing sciatica because it’s nonsurgical and doesn’t involve pharmaceutical medications. Plus, it’s safe when you entrust your care to a board-certified chiropractor like Dr. Gentry. 

What to expect from chiropractors for sciatica

Manual chiropractic adjustments are just the first step in relieving nerve compression. In fact, Dr. Gentry typically uses a combination of multiple techniques to reduce your pain. All are noninvasive or minimally invasive options tailored to your needs and symptoms. 

While treating you for sciatica, Dr. Gentry might use the following:

• Manual adjustments
• Massage therapy
• Ultrasound therapy
• Cold laser therapy
• Traction therapy
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Nutritional supplements
• Spinal decompression

Additionally, you might benefit from orthobiologic therapies or peptides to help heal the underlying condition or injury causing your sciatic nerve compression. Our experts carefully administer and supervise these treatments at ChiroCare Therapy. 

Dr. Gentry decides on the best treatment plan after evaluating your sciatica pain and reviewing your medical history. These treatments provide fast recovery with minimal or no side effects. 

To book a consultation for expert chiropractic care at ChiroCare Therapy, call our office or request an appointment online today.