As a chiropractic office in Centennial, Colorado, we see patients with sciatica daily. It is one of the most common reasons that someone goes to see a chiropractor. Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve gets compressed. This usually happens at the spine, at one of the nerve roots that make up the sciatic nerve. The L4, L5, S1, S2, and S3 nerve roots combine to form the sciatic nerve. From there, the nerve splits into many branches as it travels down the leg. These branches control the function of the glutes, hamstrings, peroneal muscles, toes, foot, and ankle.
Some of the most common symptoms of sciatica include numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain in the toes, foot, ankle, back of the calf, back of the thigh, or the glutes. These symptoms can be debilitating and life-altering. Sciatica can be caused by a variety of risk factors, such as sitting or standing for long periods, and lifting or bending.
Sometimes sciatica can be an acute condition, like after excessive exercise, bending, twisting, or lifting. These movements can put excessive strain on the spinal discs, leading to herniation or bulging. This pushes the disc material onto the nerve root, severely irritating the sciatic nerve.
Chronic sciatica cases can be more complicated to treat. This is because the longer someone has had sciatica, the longer it can take to treat. But there is still hope, as we see tremendous improvements in patients with acute and chronic sciatica. If you have sciatica, it’s always best to get checked out as soon as possible so we can help your body heal.
$49 New Patient Special
First visit includes a consultation, case review, careful exam, X-rays (if necessary) and initial adjustment. Second visit includes a doctor’s report of findings, care plan recommendations, and treatment if you decide to move forward. Not valid with any other offers or promotions. Restrictions apply. Must mention this coupon at the time of scheduling.
How Our Care Protocol Works
First, we perform a thorough chiropractic exam and x-rays to determine exactly where the lack of proper movement is in your spine and which specific vertebrae need to be addressed.
Second, we restore proper motion to your spine and take stress off of the nerve by performing biomechanically and neurologically correct chiropractic adjustments.
Third, we teach you specific exercises to strengthen and stabilize your spine. These exercises are carefully designed to get you great results and NOT aggravate your condition.
Fourth, as clinically indicated, we perform non-surgical spinal decompression to take pressure off of the disc and off of the nerve giving you relief like you haven’t felt in years!
How We Treat Sciatica In Centennial, CO
Specific Chiropractic Care in Centennial, CO
When the vertebrae of the lower back are not moving properly, it can put pressure on the discs, which in turn irritates the sciatic nerve. Chiropractic care helps the spine move properly, taking pressure off the discs and nerves. Don’t forget, it takes time for these structures to heal properly. Just like the hair on your head or the nails on your fingers, the nerves and discs will take time to regrow and heal.
Spinal Decompression
Spinal Decompression is a fantastic adjunct to chiropractic adjustments for patients with sciatica. Spinal decompression helps supercharge your results and provide significant relief.
Decompression uses a specialized table and proprietary protocols to create a negative pressure in the disc. Similar to how, when you pull an accordion apart, it sucks in air. The decompression machine is doing the same thing to the disc. By pulling on the spine, it is taking pressure off the disc. This encourages the disc to pull in healing nutrients, oxygen, and hydration, thus promoting disc healing and allowing the nerve to heal.
By taking pressure off the disc, spinal decompression allows the disc to centralize or move back to the middle of the spine. When the disc is centralized, it moves away from the nerve that it is compressing and irritating, giving the body the chance to heal.
Rather than resorting to masking your symptoms with dangerous pain pills, muscle relaxers, or needle injections, our therapies help your body to heal from the inside. We have found that combining adjustments and decompression supercharges results for patients with disc injuries. Decompression, along with spinal adjustments, helps our patients to heal more completely and maintain better spinal health over the long term.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise
Spinal muscle imbalance is a common cause of sciatica. That is why one of the keys to correcting and preventing sciatica is ensuring that the muscles that stabilize the spine are firing properly. These exercises help you to hold your adjustments and properly stabilize your spine. We create a customized spinal exercise plan for every patient to strengthen and stabilize their spine as part of their care plan to help correct their sciatica.
Common Causes of Sciatica in Centennial, CO
Herniated or Bulged Lumbar Discs
Discs can herniate or bulge for various reasons. Lifting weights, even light weights, can put enough stress on a disc to cause it to herniate or bulge. I’ve even seen patients who have herniated a disc, causing sciatica, by picking a sock up off the floor. At the end of the day, the sock really wasn’t the problem. The underlying instability in the spine was the real culprit.
Subluxation
One of the most common causes of sciatica is subluxations in the lower spine. When the spine isn’t moving properly, the nerve signals that go to the muscles around the spine don’t work at 100%. This can make the spine unstable, putting more stress on the discs, which can then herniate, bulge, or degenerate faster than they should. Chiropractic adjustments are the only method to correct subluxations and allow the spine to move as it should.
Degenerative Disc Disease
The reason that discs degenerate in the first place is that there is not proper movement at that level of the spine. As the disc gets thinner, there is less room, up and down, for the sciatic nerve root to exit. This can affect how well the sciatic nerve functions and even cause severe pain. Chiropractic adjustments, along with spinal decompression, do a great job of maximizing spinal movement, which typically can stop or slow down the degenerative process in the disc.
Poor Posture
It might not seem like a big deal, but poor posture can put a lot of stress on your spine over the long term and lead to sciatica. It’s important to be mindful of your posture in all activities, even while sleeping. The cool thing is that chiropractic adjustments make your brain more aware of your body’s position in space. When that happens, your brain is aware of posture, even subconsciously.
Muscle Strain or Spasm
The most common muscle associated with sciatic pain is the piriformis muscle. The piriformis goes from the sacrum to the pelvis. The piriform is in proximity to the sciatic nerve as the nerve exits the pelvis and travels down the leg. If the piriformis muscle tightens or spasms, it can also irritate the sciatic nerve. Exercises, stretches, and chiropractic adjustments will help the piriformis calm down, loosen up, and take pressure off the sciatic nerve.
At Lovett Family Chiropractic, we take a multidimensional approach that includes chiropractic, exercise, and decompression to help heal sciatica as effectively as possible. We also have great relationships with physical and massage therapists who can aid in optimal results. Our diverse, tailored approach gives you the best chance of success!
Check Out Our Location Near You
12201 E Arapahoe Rd B10, Centennial, CO 80112
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I see a Chiropractor or my Primary Care Doctor if I have Sciatica?
While seeing your primary care doctor is important for coughs, sneezes, and other issues, they don’t really have the training required to treat sciatica properly. You’re likely to get a prescription for an anti-inflammatory or a muscle relaxer from your primary care doctor. These are only band-aids that cover up your symptoms.
On the other hand, a chiropractor is highly trained to treat sciatica. Our expertise in taking and assessing spinal X-rays, performing chiropractic adjustments, prescribing stabilizing exercises, and utilizing spinal decompression protocols is invaluable if you are suffering from sciatica.
What can I do to relieve my sciatica in Centennial, Colorado?
The best option to relieve your sciatica is to come in to Lovett Family Chiropractic for a consultation, examination, and x-rays. We will work to identify the root cause of your sciatica and treat it before it gets worse.
What is the best treatment for Sciatica?
It really depends on the root cause of your sciatica, but here at Lovett Family Chiropractic, we have many options at our disposal to address the underlying cause.
$49 New Patient Special
First visit includes a consultation, case review, careful exam, X-rays (if necessary) and initial adjustment. Second visit includes a doctor’s report of findings, care plan recommendations, and treatment if you decide to move forward. Not valid with any other offers or promotions. Restrictions apply. Must mention this coupon at the time of scheduling.