Sciatic Pain: Why Chiropractic Is More Effective Than Traditional Medications

When your sciatic nerve is compressed or irritated, you know it. As the largest nerve in your body, sciatic nerve inflammation causes intense, radiating pain down one or both of your legs. This pain is difficult to treat with traditional pain medications, and symptoms can last for months without effective treatment. You may also experience muscle weakness, or a tingling sensation. 

Muscle Relaxers Don't Affect Nerve Pain

While some of your pain may be due to tight muscles, the pain caused by sciatica isn't affected by muscle relaxants. Nerve pain is different, and some doctors will prescribe neurontin in an attempt to help the nerve pain. Neurontin (gabapentin) has shown some promise as a treatment option for sciatic pain. The medication was first approved in 1993 as an add on treatment for those suffering from seizures. Some patients feel sciatic relief from neurontin, but this effect is not widespread.

Chiropractic Treatment Decreases Compression on the Sciatic Nerve

Using gentle stretching techniques, traction, and spinal manipulation, your chiropractor will focus on relieving pressure on your sciatic nerve. The pressure is due to a misaligned vertebra, a bulging disc, or a combination of both. With careful stretching, your chiropractor will be able to realign your vertebra and help ease the compression in the area where the disc is bulging.

Ice or Heat May Ease Sciatic Pain

Inflammation is painful, and your chiropractor may use both hot or cold packs to help reduce inflammation to the area where your pain is coming from. Hot packs will help improve circulation to an area, which allows damaged tissue to heal faster. Cold packs will reduce swelling, which may be causing nerve compression.

Chiropractic Treatment Heals the Root of Your Problem

Medications for the treatment of sciatica will only mask your problems. You may feel a bit better for a short time from taking medications and resting, but chiropractic treatment will restore your back to a state of health. You can use a combination of chiropractic treatment and traditional medicine because chiropractic is not going to cause any side effects or interact with other treatments. Your chiropractor will do a complete examination of the area in question, and treatment will depend on the chiropractor's findings.

If you suffer from sciatic pain that won't go away with traditional, conservative treatment, consider a visit to a chiropractor to have your sciatic pain addressed. Whether you have a compressed joint or a bulging disc, a chiropractor will help ease the nerve pain associated with this common, painful condition.

For more information, contact a business such as Claremont Chiropractic.