Not many injuries can slow you down faster than a painful back. Irritation to the nerves in your lower back can cause severe pain to radiate through into your buttocks and legs. This specific pain causes tens of millions of people to search Dr Google for pain relief. With commercials promoting all sorts of ab rollers, electrical stimulators, and other magic gizmos all over social media, it can be challenging to sort the fact from fiction. Today, we look at the latest research to help you find the most proven, evidence-based, smart healthcare solution for sciatica.
There has been a lot of media coverage questioning common, standard medical procedures. The issue in concern is that these procedures’ effectiveness are not supported by research data.
Tendon pathology is a widely researched and discussed topic, and a quick google search can end up taking you down a deep dark rabbit hole of conflicting research, opinion, and debate.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a type of leg pain or numbness and tingling which originates from your low back. And wow it can seriously hurt! The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body (Medical News Today). Individual nerve roots in your lower back combine to form the sciatic nerve which then travels down into your leg and feet (Harvard University). The sharp pain typically increases with sitting and the weakness in your leg may make it difficult to walk. The compression or irritation of nerves in your lower back can occur due to aging, the stress of gravity acting on your spine, or previous injuries to your back. When the nerve is irritated or compressed by a spinal disc, bone spur, or ligament, it can become inflamed and painful.
Sciatica & Leg Pain
So here is the easiest way to understand sciatica. Think of your nerves like power lines. These nerves carry signals from the power station (your central nervous system) out to every muscle, organ, and cell in your body. The power lines, or nerves, in your low back travel down your hips, buttocks, and legs to your feet. When the nerve becomes irritated at the power station, it will affect everything along the path of the power line. This is why a single nerve irritation in your low back can result in pain down into your leg!
Customised Pain Solution for Sciatica
Do you know that Sciatica often resolves without having to resort to risky medications or dangerous surgery? Conservative treatments such as spinal manipulation, mobilisation, and soft tissue therapy are recommended by global guidelines for managing sciatic pain (British Chiropractic Association). Furthermore, research has shown that 89% of patients who were suffering from Sciatica responded particularly well to chiropractic adjustments. Also, if you’ve thought about therapy, here is something to consider: a recent research paper found 20% more patients experienced relief with chiropractic adjustments and exercise than exercise alone (Reuters).
Sciatica may severely impact your quality of life. Rest assured that you don’t need to immediately resort to drugs, injections, or surgery to fix the problem. Top research publications have repeatedly shown that risky medications are rarely more effective than a chiropractic adjustment. Starting with chiropractic care is both a safe and smart decision!
Do you know Square One is the only chiropractic clinic in Singapore to offer Chiropractic Adjustments, Dry Needling, and Myofascial Cupping? Our revolutionary functional program combines manual therapy with rehabilitation so you can get all the treatments you need under one roof. Don’t let your body suffer in silence! Delaying treatment for your sciatica can cause unnecessary aches and pain for many years to come. At Square One, we make it our priority to help you live a full, functional, and happy life. To experience the best chiropractic care in Singapore, book a consultation appointment with us today.
Science Source
- Outcomes of Acute and Chronic Patients with Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Confirmed Symptomatic Lumbar Disc Herniations Receiving High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude, Spinal Manipulative Therapy: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study with One Year Follow-Up Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. March/April 2014
- Spinal Manipulation and Home Exercise with Advice for Subacute and Chronic Back-Related Leg Pain. Annals of Internal Medicine. Volume 161, Number 6, 2014.
- Manipulation or Microdiskectomy for Sciatica? A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2010
- Symptomatic MRI-Confirmed Lumbar Disk Herniation Patients: A Comparative Effectiveness Prospective Observational Study of 2 Age- and Sex-Matched Cohorts Treated with Either High-Velocity, Low Amplitude Spinal Manipulative Therapy or Imaging-Guided Lumbar Nerve Root Injections. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2013
- Spinal Manipulation and Home Exercise with Advice for Subacute and Chronic Back-Related Leg Pain. Annals of Internal Medicine. Volume 161, Number 6, 2014.
- Outcomes of Acute and Chronic Patients with Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Confirmed Symptomatic Lumbar Disc Herniations Receiving High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude, Spinal Manipulative Therapy: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study with One Year Follow-Up Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2014
- Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long-Term Outcome? SPINE. 2011