Are you dealing with radiating pain in your lower back or legs? This could be Sciatica. This is a common problem we see and it can be very painful and debilitating. The Sciatic nerve plays a major role in the lower half of the body and is a common nerve to be pinched through misalignments.
Our Chiropractic team in Fuquay-Varina specializes in dealing with Sciatica. We can help you get to the root cause of your Sciatica pain and provide treatment options to eliminate the problem. Alleviate your pain today and call our office to schedule an appointment.
$99 New Patient Special
Includes consultation, exam, doctors report of findings, PosturePro analysis, and first adjustment.
How Our Care Plan Works
1. Better
No matter where you start, we can improve together. The first phase focuses on making progress in your current ailments. Typically, this means alleviating pain and helping you return to your daily activities as smoothly and quickly as possible.
2. Stronger
Now that you’ve made progress, how do we KEEP it? We’ve all experienced improvements, only to regress when our focus shifts. This phase empowers your body to sustain the hard-earned progress you’ve worked so diligently to achieve.
3. Healthier
True HEALTHcare! So often, we are only concerned with our sickness and dysfunction, seeking treatment only when we experience symptoms. This is SICKcare. During the healthier phase, we focus on your overall health and maintaining your well-being.
How We Treat Sciatica Pain In Fuquay Varina, NC
Don’t suffer from sciatica any longer. Our Chiropractic team is here to get to the underlying cause of your sciatica and help you get back to feeling great again. Book your appointment today to get started with care.
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
Every new patient begins with a comprehensive consultation and examination. The consultation is crucial because we want to hear your thoughts and perspectives. An in-depth conversation about what’s going on, how long you’ve been experiencing it, what makes it better, and what your ultimate goals are. We provide a safe space for the patient to share this with one of our providers. We then proceed to a thorough examination, which includes a movement screening, posture and squat analysis, neurologic examination, and orthopedic testing. Gathering all this information allows us to identify the root cause of our symptoms and determine precisely what’s causing your issues, as well as what we need to do to help you achieve your goals. This day one procedure lays a good foundation for what we will need to do during care.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Fuquay Varina, NC
Sciatica can be caused by various factors, with the three most common being disc injury, peripheral nerve entrapment, and subluxation. The good thing is that chiropractic adjustments are an effective way to treat all three of these conditions. Let’s outline the most common type of subluxation. Subluxation is a disconnect between how the brain and the body communicate. A joint can become stuck or misaligned, creating a disconnect that prevents your body from healing in the way it is designed to. Subluxations can cause sciatica symptoms, but they can also lead to various other issues, including numbness, muscle weakness, or changes in digestion. An adjustment is a small force applied through the joint to restore motion through the joint. The adjustment typically leaves the patient feeling relieved and can result in noticeable improvement. You can treat the disc and the peripheral nerve entrapment, but if you leave the subluxation unaddressed, recovery will be limited.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Muscle tension can significantly contribute to sciatica symptoms. If there is a peripheral nerve entrapment, releasing the tight muscle and then retraining it to stabilize through a proper range of motion will help eliminate any symptoms. Once symptoms decrease, stabilizing the core and surrounding muscles will reduce the likelihood of recurrence in the future. As part of every treatment plan in our office, we create a customized exercise plan for each patient. This provides you with the necessary information for your specific condition to strengthen and stabilize in a lasting manner.
Deep Tissue Laser
Sciatica is inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Part of the reason it is so hard to treat sciatica is that nerves take a notoriously long time to heal. This is why Deep Tissue Laser is such a powerful modality for treating sciatica. Laser uses infrared light that penetrates 2-3 inches deep, increasing ATP production, as well as oxygenation and circulation. Meaning there is more energy in the tissue to work through the healing process. The increased oxygenation and circulation result in more blood flow, allowing more oxygen to be directly delivered into the nerve. Laser feels warm and can make noticeable changes within the first week. Laser is a fantastic way to get better results faster, cutting the healing time in half.
Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave is a fantastic resource for treating sciatica. Shockwave uses both sound and pressure to break down tissue and promote proper healing. It feels like a mixture of a massage gun and electrical stimulation. This breakdown allows the tight muscles entrapping the nerve to loosen up, allowing the nerve to move and glide as it is supposed to. It is also used to treat the muscle spasms and or cramping often associated with sciatica. Shockwave is such a great supplement to adjustments, rehabilitation, and deep tissue laser therapy. Patients notice a difference within the first few minutes following treatment.
Common Causes of Sciatica Pain in Fuquay Varina, NC
Herniated Lumbar Discs
Two primary pieces make up our discs. The first is the center, the nucleus propulsus. This is a jelly-like substance that is held in the center by the second part of the disc, the annular fibrosis. The annular fibrosis is a layer of tough fibers that encircles the nucleus. When there is damage to the disc, it is the annular fibrosis that is damaged. As damage accumulates, the nucleus will slowly push more and more into the annular fibrosis, and eventually cause the disc to bulge or herniate towards the spinal cord. This is often referred to as a herniated disc, bulging disc, or slipped disc. These all mean the same thing, that there is damage to the annular fibrosis part of the disc. This can be very painful and cause discomfort not just in the lower back, but also down into the leg. This is often known as sciatica. The sciatic nerve is a group of nerves that all bundle together and go down the leg. If any one of these nerve roots is affected by one of these herniated discs, it can cause pain down the entire sciatic nerve. The single best treatment for this is chiropractic adjustments. Other treatments can also help speed up the recovery process, including therapeutic exercises, Deep Tissue Laser therapy, and Shockwave therapy. In our office, we combine all of these treatments into a personalized plan for each patient.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Our discs are a fantastic combination of resilient and fragile. The discs are crucial for day-to-day movement and function, and they are constantly in use, demonstrating their remarkable resilience. However, we have also found that these discs begin to degenerate around the age of 18-20. This degeneration starts due to a lack of blood flow. Blood flow is responsible for healing, so the less blood flow there is, the longer it takes to heal. An accumulation of stress causes all degeneration. We phrase it as an accumulation of stress instead of time because we can see a 30-year-old with an extreme amount of accumulated stress, but we can also see an 80-year-old with little to no accumulated stress. So time isn’t the primary factor; it is more based on the amount of stress put on the body. Disc degeneration plays a crucial role in our lives, as the discs are an integral part of our spine. Our spine is a suit of armor for the most critical system in our body, the nervous system. The nervous system controls the entire body, and degenerative discs put our nervous system at risk for conditions like sciatica. There are limits to the amount we can reverse this disc degeneration, but treatment is crucial for making sure the disease doesn’t continue to progress. Ignoring degeneration is only going to set you up for more issues in the very near future.
Spinal Stenosis
Stenosis refers to the narrowing of a passageway or tunnel. Our vertebrae build a tunnel for our spinal cord to travel through. Spinal stenosis occurs when something causes the spinal canal to become narrower, putting the spinal cord at risk for damage. Patients with spinal stenosis often feel pain in the lower back and radiating pain down both legs. Symptoms usually alleviate with leaning forward; things like walking through the grocery store, leaning on the shopping cart, feel great. Chiropractic is often considered the best approach for treating spinal stenosis. The first thing we do is adjust these patients, primarily with a flexion distraction technique, where we gently stretch the lower back. This stretching will increase mobility and decrease the inflammation in the area. Progression of spinal stenosis can often lead to surgery, which may be helpful for some cases, but could also leave the patient with more complications in the future. Addressing spinal stenosis early with conservative treatment like chiropractic care sets the patient up for their best chance at success.
Muscle Strain or Spasm
A muscle strain occurs when a muscle is over-pulled or overstretched, causing damage to some of the muscle fibers. Muscle strains can occasionally heal on their own, but if they heal incorrectly, they can create long-term issues, such as changes in range of motion or chronic pain. Muscle spasms are an intense contraction of the muscle, feeling like the muscle “grabs” and then won’t let go. This can be very painful and difficult to manage on your own. Treating muscle strains and spasms involves addressing the muscle itself through soft tissue mobilization techniques, strengthening exercises, and joint mobilization, as well as treating the surrounding tissues. Each muscle is a part of the kinetic chain, and even small muscles make a significant difference when viewed in the context of larger movements, such as squatting or walking.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction (SI Joint Pain)
The Sacroiliac joint is one of the three joints that make up your pelvis. The SI joints are located at the base of your spine, one on each side. The SI joint is responsible for transmitting force from the legs to the torso, so with every step you take, the SI joint helps drive you forward. SI dysfunction can typically cause pain in the lower back, but it can also cause sciatic pain. The sciatic nerve is a bundle of nerves, L4, L5, S1, S2, and S3 nerve roots. If there is SI joint dysfunction, it may also be affecting the sciatic nerve, causing pain to radiate across the hip or even into the leg. The most effective way to treat SI joint dysfunction is through chiropractic care. We begin with adjustments to restore proper motion through the SI joints, then progress to other modalities as needed, such as Deep Tissue Laser Therapy, Shockwave Therapy, and condition-specific rehabilitation exercises.
Subluxation
The brain and nerves comprise the most critical system in your entire body, known as the nervous system. The nervous system is the master system. It controls every cell in your whole body. Because this system is so important, our body has developed a protective layer around the nervous system. That suit of armor is our spine and skull. Sometimes the vertebrae in our spine get stuck or misaligned. This is a problem because it changes the range of motion in that joint. However, the real issue is that it now changes how the nervous system functions. These subluxations can cut off up to 60% of the communication between the brain and the body. Meaning we can see a multitude of different issues within the body. One of the most common issues is sciatica. If there is a subluxation between L4 and S3, it can impact the sciatic nerve and cause the standard symptoms seen with sciatica. How do we find these subluxations? We start with a thorough examination, including posture, squat, and other movement screenings. Moving into orthopedic examinations as well as neurologic examinations. We can take X-rays and other imaging as needed, gathering all the necessary information to provide a proper diagnosis. We then correct these subluxations with adjustments, removing the interference and allowing your body to heal as it was made to.
Check Out Our Location Near You
609 Attain St #141, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I see a doctor or a chiropractor about Sciatica?
Chiropractors are neuromusculoskeletal specialists, meaning they specialize in conditions that affect the nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems. Sciatica is one of the top neuromusculoskeletal conditions. Our office handles these cases daily and has achieved great success in treating sciatica. If you were to go to an MD, they specialize in many other conditions besides sciatica. Treatment in an MD office is most likely to consist of muscle relaxers and pain relievers, neither of which is expected actually to treat or have success with sciatica.
What can I do to alleviate my sciatica pain in Fuquay-Varina, NC?
The quickest and most effective way to treat sciatica is to go to a chiropractor. There are other treatment options, including medications and stretching, but neither is likely to yield lasting success. Consult a chiropractor near you to create a personalized plan to help you feel and function the way you want to again.
What is the best treatment for sciatica?
Although each case of sciatica is slightly different, chiropractic care has consistently proven to be a key component of successful treatment. Many chiropractors, like our office, may add in other modalities, but the foundation of a good treatment plan is the chiropractic adjustment.
How should I lie with Sciatica?
Lying down with sciatica can be challenging, but the best way to manage it is to lie in a comfortable position. That preference may change case by case, but the most common way is to lie on your back, with a neutral pelvis, your back flat on the ground, and your knees slightly elevated, as if you have a pillow underneath them.
How long does sciatica last?
The length of the condition is based on the severity of the issue. If the condition is left untreated, it can continue to progress to the point of needing surgery to treat, with limited success. If treated as quickly as possible, the symptoms can be eliminated within a few days and then treated to prevent recurrence over the next couple of weeks.
Can stretching make sciatica worse?
Although stretching may feel good, it won’t improve the sciatica. It is rare to cause harm or exacerbate the condition, but in extreme cases, it can. A specific stretching plan, along with rehabilitation exercises, is incorporated into each new patient’s plan to ensure progress.
What is better for sciatica, acupuncture, or a chiropractor?
Although acupuncture is an excellent option for sciatica, its effectiveness is limited when used alone without chiropractic care. It may help diminish symptoms, but it doesn’t address the specific causes of your sciatica. Comanagement of chiropractic and acupuncture does show great success and may be worth discussing with your chiropractor.
What causes sciatica flare-ups?
Several factors can trigger sciatica flare-ups. The most common cause is a disc injury. Disc herniation or disc degeneration can both pinch the nerve roots of the sciatic nerve. Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction, muscle strains, and more can also cause sciatica. Chiropractors are trained to identify the cause of your sciatica and provide effective treatment.
Should I go to the gym with sciatica?
Exercising with sciatica can be tricky. Condition-specific exercises can help treat your sciatica and diminish the pain. Exercising with sciatica can also exacerbate the condition. Consult your chiropractor before resuming exercise.
What exercises help with sciatica?
The best exercises for long-term success with sciatica are based exercises. Stabilizing the core will increase long-term function. Other exercises may be helpful, but are prescribed on a case-by-case basis.
$99 New Patient Special
Includes consultation, exam, doctors report of findings, PosturePro analysis, and first adjustment.
