Sciatica Treatment in Calgary
Quite often, people refer to any leg pain as sciatica. True sciatica is pain, numbness, or tingling caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body. Typically starting in the lower back, the pain can travel along the nerve, affecting muscles like the glutes and piriformis.
Patients may experience radiating or sharp, shooting pains along the back of the upper leg and calf, all the way down to the foot. Dropping of the foot, weakness in bending the knee, or extension in the hip are also symptoms of the condition.
Causes of Sciatica
There are three main causes of sciatic pain:
Foraminal compression—vertebral discs in the lower back may bulge or herniate, causing irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. Herniated discs are the most common cause of sciatica.
Spinal stenosis—when the channel that the spinal cord and sciatic nerve roots originate from narrows, it may cause compression of the nerve. This narrowing is often caused by degeneration with age.
Bone spurs—an overgrowth of bone on the vertebrae may put pressure on the sciatic nerve. Bone spurs often form near vertebrae affected by osteoarthritis.
How We Help
Chiropractic care addresses sciatica with a plan including adjustment, home exercise, and regular assessment. We teach specific exercises to help the tissue heal faster, open up the spine and reduce compression on the nerves.
In the clinic, soft tissue work along the glutes and piriformis helps relieve any compression issues and give the nerve space to breathe. We may also utilize our spinal decompression table to open the spaces between the vertebrae, allowing rehydration of the disc, better circulation, and transport of micronutrients to improve healing and decrease symptoms.
Our chiropractors continually assess the joints to make sure they’re moving properly, which helps posture to reduce compression and other symptoms. We also monitor motor and sensory functions to ensure the condition is not worsening.
Improvement Is Possible
Most patients have significant improvement in their pain levels in the first few weeks of care. Depending on the source of your sciatica, it may take longer for full relief. Contact Adjusted For Life Chiropractic Health Centre for more information on our NW Calgary clinic. We offer family chiropractic, and sports chiropractic all at our northwest chiropractic clinic.
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