The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the human body. This nerve originates in the lower spine and extends down the leg. When the root of this nerve becomes pinched or irritated, people can experience sharp, burning or tingling pain in the lower back radiating down their leg. This pain following the sciatic nerve is known as sciatica. This is a fairly common condition with around 10-40% of people experiencing this pain in their lifetime.
There is a variety of treatment options for sciatica and fortunately, at Longo Chiropractic, we offer noninvasive, drug-free and pain-free sciatica relief using chiropractic adjustments, deep tissue laser therapy and dry needling.
A chiropractor can use spinal manipulations to ensure discs are in proper position, preventing the spine from interfering with the sciatic nerve. Deep tissue laser therapy is a natural treatment for many conditions including sciatica. The specialized laser speeds up healing processes at a cellular level and reduces pain and inflammation. Dry needling releases the tightness in the muscles which reduces the compression on both the vertebrae and the sciatic nerve. Additionally, alternating heat and ice therapies can ease sciatica pain because heat relieves tight muscles while ice can reduce swelling and inflammation caused by sciatica.
Sciatica can be extremely painful, hindering you from partaking in activities you enjoy. If sciatica is impacting your comfort, a chiropractic adjustment, deep tissue laser therapy, or dry needling can be just what you need to get back to doing the things you enjoy.