Herniated discs & low back pain
Simply defined, sciatica is an extremely painful condition involving your sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the human body, which extends along the back of the leg from the buttocks to the inside of the ankle. When the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed or traumatized in any way, the result is agonizing, distressing and often temporarily debilitating. People often mistakenly refer to this condition as a "slipped disc."
If you are experiencing these symptoms, you may feel discouraged or afraid. You may be thinking that this type of pain and physical incapacity must mean facing the risks and consequences of surgery or drugs. You may even fear that nothing will help.
However, studies have suggested chiropractic care to be helpful in the relief of the symptoms of sciatica. Your doctor of chiropractic is ready to work with you to alleviate your discomfort and restore you to better health as quickly as possible.
By designing a treatment program especially for you, your chiropractor may be able to help you on your way to feeling better naturally without resorting to other drastic, costly and often no more effective measures.
Here’s a sample program you may expect from your doctor of chiropractic…If you are not familiar with a visit to the chiropractor; you will find the initial encounter similar to that of a visit to a medical doctor. It is important to take a detailed health history in order to determine the exact nature of your difficulty and to determine if the assistance of other types of health professionals is warranted. Your chiropractor is most interested in your questions and inquiries, so please don’t hesitate to offer your input.
Information about the length and intensity of your condition will enable your chiropractic practitioner to choose the most appropriate types of treatment and best offer you a comprehensive picture of your healing process.
X-rays may be ordered, if applicable so that confirmation of the diagnosis may be made. Depending on the severity of your case, more thorough and specialized diagnostic tests such as a CT scan or MRI may also be ordered.
In addition, your chiropractor will perform a physical exam-which usually includes general physical, orthopedic and neurological evaluations in addition to specific chiropractic assessments. This will enable the doctor to locate the areas of pain, restriction of motion, and the extent of your problem.
Your doctor of chiropractic will work with you to design a unique treatment program for you. It will take into account your particular symptoms, needs and restrictions.
Your understanding of the condition will better enable you to participate in your recovery process.
It is important to note that recovery from sciatica is usually slower than recovery from simple back pain. While relief may be obtained in a short period of time, it is worth remembering that the severity of the condition may require longer treatment.
Studies show that after one month, 30% of people with sciatica recover with conservative management; 50% recover in three months; 70% recover in six months. Whereas 80-90% of cases involving simple back pain are resolved within one month.
Sciatica is a particularly difficult condition in that it may involve muscles, bones, discs, ligaments and nerves which each require several steps in their healing. The chiropractor’s goal is not merely to bring relief to your pain but to identify and correct the source of it as well!
ADJUSTMENT: Removing pressure from the sciatic nerve will help relieve the pain and allow your body to heal itself. One effective way to accomplish this is termed a chiropractic "adjustment." An adjustment is designed to achieve several objectives: it is intended to decrease muscle spasm, to help restore normal mobility, it is believed to promote circulation which helps ensure proper nutrition to the joints and spine, thereby decreasing irritation, inflammation and pain.
An adjustment may be done by your chiropractor’s hands and may be assisted by a special table and other special aids specifically created to facilitate the adjustment. Your practitioner of chiropractic may also use a small, hand-held instrument (called an ACTIVATOR) which allows the application of a specific low force to the needed area without discomfort to you.
Adjustments are continued throughout the healing process. In addition to adjustments, your chiropractor may also employ one or more of the following therapies depending on the severity of your condition: a Back Education and Exercise Program for Home Care * Proper Diet Rest * Ice Packs * Additional Related Treatment to Maintain Your Progress
We understand your discomfort and appreciate having the opportunity to work with you for your complete healing. We believe you will find that the knowledge and relief you gain through working with your chiropractor may make a difference for your good health and comfort right now and in the future.
The better you are able to comply with the recommended treatments and schedule, the more likely your recovery will be complete and effective in the shortest time possible.
For nearly a century, doctors of chiropractic have cared for the health needs of millions of people. The chiropractor is concerned not only in helping you overcome the pain and disability that spinal and musculoskeletal problems create, but also in helping you stay fit and enjoy life to the fullest. Isn’t it time you talked to your chiropractor?
Schedule your spinal exam today!
Relief from Back Pain
Hurting? Stiff? Sore? You’ll want to read on and discover the latest
government research findings to help you get relief quickly. You’ll be glad to
know that the best treatment for most "acute" or short term low back
pain (that is, pain lasting less than 3 months) is just the kind your
chiropractor offers!
And it’s all without any complicated, risky or expensive surgery, drugs, traction or extended bed rest. In fact, the major government agency sponsoring the new national health guidelines has told other medical practitioners who use those treatments that such care is no longer advisable for short term episodes.
That means you’re in the right place to find help. According to the findings, the expert spinal manipulations offered by your doctor of chiropractic are a recommended, safe and effective form of initial treatment to relieve your discomfort-especially in the first month your new symptoms appear.
Together with you, your chiropractor can design a complete and personalized care program to help speed your recovery.
Low back pain is a very common problem, second only to the common cold as a reason for a doctor visit. In fact, at least 8 out of 10 people will have low back pain at some point in their lives, with more than 95% having the problem more than once.
While your condition is no doubt painful and bothersome, the good news is that acute low back pain is usually not serious, and you will recover and be back to your normal activities soon.
However, it is especially important to seek professional care when your low back distress lasts more than a few days, keeps you from your daily activities, or produces severe pain.
Here are a few causes of low back pain:
Muscle spasms* Trauma* Accident* Repeated damage to the spine* Heredity* Aging* Disease* Irritated nerves* Referred pain from other body organs* Stress* Poor Posture* Poor muscle tone* Excess weight* Strenuous activities* Inactivity
Even others symptoms, which seem unrelated can be important clues as to the source of your problem- such as abdominal pain, menstrual pain, nausea or diarrhea
You chiropractor is highly qualified to help determine the nature and best care for your condition, and to assist in any outside medical referrals if necessary.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE KIND OF SPINAL CARE YOUR CHIROPRACTOR CAN OFFER YOU TO RELIEVE YOUR ACUTE LOW BACK DISCOMFORT…
Your doctor of chiropractic is a uniquely trained expert who can help you with your low back problems. Your care will begin with a thorough examination and history and other diagnostic tests or X-rays if needed. Your doctor will then outline a care plan just for you.
Your chiropractor’s goal is not to merely bring relief to your pain, but to alleviate the source of it as well! This is generally the goal of the chiropractic "adjustment" or "spinal manipulations" you will receive during your care.
An adjustment is intended to decrease muscle spasm and to help restore normal mobility to the painful area. The increased mobility helps promote circulation and helps ensure proper nutrition to the joints and spine, and is thereby believed to decrease irritation, inflammation and pain.
An adjustment may be done by your chiropractor’s hands and may be assisted by a special table and other special aids. Your practitioner may also use a small, hand-held instrument (called an ACTIVATOR) which allows him or her to apply specific low force to the needed area without discomfort to you.
Adjustments are continued throughout the healing process or until the body is able to maintain its appropriate function without pain. Other therapies such as ice, heat or special exercise may also be used. The better you comply with the recommended treatments and schedule, the more likely your recovery will be complete and effective in the shortest time possible.
While a chiropractor can be your greatest asset when you suffer a bout of acute low back pain, there’s no reason you should wait until you have a problem to see your chiropractor.
Enjoying regular chiropractic care, along with the helpful tips and specific strengthening exercises your doctor offers, can be a wise choice for you. That’s especially important with today’s stressful lifestyle and the constant daily demands you place on your body.
Perhaps that’s why more than 18 million Americans visited their chiropractic have cared for the health needs of millions and millions of people for more than a century.
Isn’t it time you talked to your chiropractor?
Throbbing…sharp or shooting pains…intense "gripping" pain…or even a dull, constant aching…all describe a painful headache.
Although there are many kinds of headaches and reasons for them, one thing is clear: headaches can be troublesome, and at times, debilitating. More persons seek medical advice because of headaches more than any other complaint.
What has not been fully appreciated are the results that could be obtained through skillful chiropractic care in the treatment of headaches.
Other treatment options, however, have proven to be problematic. It has been documented that certain drugs used in the treatment of headaches can actually make them worse and cause complications. Furthermore, these very same painkillers can lead to drug dependency.
These dangers, and the fact that the source of the pain is not truly being addressed, have sent many people looking for another solution to their headache dilemma.
This is where your Doctor of Chiropractic could be a welcome ally. Examining the vital information about headaches will help you to understand why.
A small percentage of headaches are dangerous – which is why headaches should be evaluated by your chiropractor or appropriate medical specialists. Most, however, are simply painful and distracting. Causes can include genetic, psychological, neurological, vascular and environmental factors – not to mention "somatic" causes or those arising from the musculoskeletal system.
In fact, the importance of considering restricted motion in the muscles, joints, back or neck as a potential source of headaches (including migraines) is only now being recognized by the traditional medical community. As a result, a simple and treatable musculoskeletal cause easily cared for by a chiropractor may be over looked or even wrongly diagnosed by other types of medical practitioners.
People most likely to suffer a headache related to their neck or back are those whose professions involve constant postural strain such as:
Beauticians – Telephone Operators – Machine and Vehicle Operators – Construction/Assembly Line Workers – Typists/Computer Operators – Dentists – Hygienists, etc.
Your Doctor of Chiropractic is skilled in providing expert care for your neck and back – which are often associated with certain types of headaches.
This is most often accomplished through a chiropractic "adjustment." An adjustment is designed to achieve several objectives: to decrease muscle spasm (which causes pain) and to help restore normal mobility to the affected area. The increased mobility is believed to promote circulation. This in turn aids in the proper nutrition of the joints and spine, thereby decreasing irritation, inflammation and pain.
The adjustment may be done by your chiropractor’s hands and may be assisted by a specialized table and other aids. Your practitioner may also use a small, hand-held instrument (called an ACTIVATOR.)
Adjustments are continued as prescribed by your chiropractor. Your Doctor of Chiropractic may also employ additional therapies, such as:
Traction – Neck/Back Education and Exercise Program for Home Care – Proper Diet – Rest – Stress Education – Additional Related Treatments to Maintain Your Progress
An initial visit to the chiropractor is similar to that of a medical doctor. A detailed health history is taken to determine the nature of your difficulty and the best course of treatment.
X-rays may be ordered to confirm the diagnosis. If necessary, specialized diagnostic such as CT scan or MRI may also be ordered.
In addition, your chiropractor will perform a physical exam – which usually includes general physical, orthopedic and neurological evaluations in addition to specific chiropractic assessments. This will enable the doctor to locate the areas of pain, restriction of motion and extent of your problems.
Working with your doctor to provide crucial information and to understand your condition greatly helps the recovery process. Keeping the recommended treatment schedule also helps ensure the most effective and rapid recovery.
We understand your discomfort and appreciate the opportunity to work with you for your complete healing.
For nearly a century, Doctors of Chiropractic have cared for the health needs of millions of people. The chiropractor is concerned not only in helping you to overcome the pain and disability that spinal problems create, but also in helping you to stay fit and enjoy life to the fullest. Isn’t it time you talked to your chiropractor?
REFERENCES