Have you ever experienced sciatica so painful that you immediately found yourself on a search engine looking for a “chiropractor near me”? If so, and you live in or around Plymouth, MI, contact our friendly experts at REACH Rehab + Chiropractic.
Our team can help you overcome your pain and provide sciatica treatment that reduces the risk of that pain reoccurring. However, before visiting us for treatment, are you sure that the pain in your back is from sciatica?
To help you avoid a wrong self-diagnosis, let’s look at what sciatica is and how to relieve sciatica pain at home before contacting a medical expert.
What Is Sciatica Pain | What Causes Sciatica Pain
Sciatica is pain or numbness/tingling that comes from the sciatic nerve. Your sciatic nerve consists of nerve roots originating from your lower spine. These nerve roots travel down your hips and spread down each leg. Sciatica occurs when one or more of these nerve roots becomes pinched, compressed, or irritated.
The pinching or compression may be due to tight muscles or a stuck joint. Poor posture, too much bending or sitting, or putting sudden or extreme strain on your lower back can lead to this.
Acute sciatica cases may last for up to six weeks, while chronic sciatica pain may last for over three months.
You should seek care if your sciatica pain gets worse rather than better. Advanced medical treatment can be crucial if you experience the following alongside sciatica pain:
- Continued leg weakness and numbness
- Fever
- Bladder dysfunction
- Sudden weight loss
The Most Common Symptoms of Sciatica
The severity of sciatica symptoms typically varies between patients and may include:
- Burning or electrical shock sensation in the lower back
- Mild or severe pain in the lower back, buttocks, or legs
- Numbness around the lower back or buttocks
- Weakness in the affected leg or foot
- Pain that worsens with movement
- Pins and needles in your legs, toes, or feet
Sciatica Exercises to Ease the Pain
When experiencing sciatica pain, the last thing on your mind will be to exercise, but the right exercise can help relieve some of the pain. In fact, lounging on a bed or sofa for too long may make the pain worse.
It doesn’t need to be strenuous exercise. Short walks and stretching exercises can help you stretch your lower back and release the pressured nerves causing your sciatica pain. You can also do these lower back exercises to relieve sciatica pain:
- Seated Pigeon Stretch: In a seated position, place the affected leg’s ankle on the opposite knee. Slowly lean your torso forward (do not flex back) until you feel a stretch on the back of your leg. Hold the position for 30 seconds, then relax for 30 seconds. Repeat two to four times per session.
- Child’s Pose Breathing: Starting in a tabletop position (on both hands and knees). Keep your back straight and start to sit back until your thighs comfortably rest on your calves. Hold the position for 30 to 90 seconds. Focus on trying to breathe your belly into your thighs. Repeat two to three times.
Other effective sciatica exercises include pelvic tilts, glute bridges, or lying deep gluteal stretches.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help With Sciatica Relief
If you need a chiropractor in Canton, MI, to help with sciatica pain, our team at REACH Rehab + Chiropractic has you covered. After a thorough examination, we can recommend the best course of treatment for lasting pain relief. Your chiropractic care may include:
- Physical Therapy Exercises: Lower back strengthening exercises that correct your posture and alleviate pain.
- Massage Therapy: Massaging that causes deep muscle relaxation in your lower back. The massage also releases endorphins that provide natural pain relief.
- Chiropractic Adjustment: Spinal manipulation may be necessary to restore proper motion in a lcoked up joint. The treatment is very effective if you feel an acompaning back stiffness with your sciatica.
- Laser Therapy: Cold laser can be very effective when experiencing an acute case of sciatica. Laser can enhance blood flow to the muscles and nerves to decrease inflamation.
After your treatment, we can recommend lifestyle changes to improve your back muscle strength, nerve health, and blood flow. Improving these aspects of your health can help prevent future sciatica pain.
Chiropractor Plymouth, MI | REACH Rehab + Chiropractic Center
Now that you know how to relieve sciatica pain, you don’t have to spend days bedridden in agony. If you want to recover as quickly as possible, all you need is an experienced chiropractor in Plymouth, MI. At REACH Rehab + Chiropractic, we’ve helped countless patients overcome sciatica pain and more.
We help to provide you with industry-leading nonsurgical care that will help you feel better and set you on a path to live a pain-free life. Schedule a appointment for sciatic pain relief today by calling (734) 530-9134 or booking here.
