Back pain, and sciatica specifically, can seem to appear out of nowhere. Identifying the real cause of the pain can be so difficult, that you might be tempted to think that the pain must be connected to some bad karma. However, if back pain and sciatica only strike those in need of some cosmic payback, then America may need some serious moral reform, since about 50% of adults in this country, each year, admit that they suffer from back pain. According to the American Chiropractic Association, about $50 billion is spent each year to treat a variety of back aches and pains.
Unfortunately, knowing how to help sciatica pain has nothing to do with accruing good karma, and everything to do with finding the cause, and seeking out quality medical care. Your journey starts with trying to pinpoint the exact cause of your sciatica.
What are the causes of sciatica pain?
The experience of sciatica may or may not accompany debilitating back pain. Most people with sciatica experience the shooting pain through their buttocks and down one leg, and occasionally some muscle weakness, numbness and tingling. Auto injuries can result in herniated or slipped discs, which in turn cause sciatica. Spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column, could cause the bone in your spine to end up compressing the sciatic nerve. Excessive weight, or being in poor physical condition, can also result in compressed discs, leading to a pinched nerve. A physical exam by a licensed medical professional is often the best way to get to the bottom of your pain.
I need to know how to relieve sciatic nerve pain.
To learn how to help sciatica pain, talk to the right medical professional. Chiropractors may be best known for helping athletes recover from injuries, but there are 61,661 chiropractic practices in the U.S., and many of them are well versed in back and sciatica pain. When sciatica pain is the result of a herniated disc, recovery is often expected after a few months. While your body recovers, you can find pain relief through several techniques.
- Getting up and walking.
- Certain physical therapy exercises.
- Alternating hot and cold compresses.
If your sciatica is due to spinal stenosis, or a disorder of the piriformis muscle, then you may require more intensive therapies to reach recovery. Chiropractors know how to help sciatica pain, and are a knowledgeable resource for helping to identify the cause, and recommend any necessary treatments. So forget the idea that your back pain and sciatica have anything to do with that one time that you didn’t pick up after your dog. There is a scientific reason behind your compressed nerve, and your pain, and the right medical professional can help you to sort it all out. Find out more about this topic here.