Sciatica is when you feel pain in your back, legs, feet, and even toes. It can feel like a shooting pain, tingling sensation, radiating pain, or general discomfort. While sciatica can resolve on its own, that’s not always the case, and if left untreated, sciatica can cause permanent and long-term damage.
Physical therapy can strengthen muscles and reduce sciatic pain, but when that’s not enough, chiropractic care can help alleviate your discomfort and improve how you move and feel. But how many treatments for sciatica with a chiropractor will you need before you feel better?
What Is Sciatica?
The sciatic nerve is made of a bundle of nerves that branch off from the spinal cord. It’s one of the longest and thickest nerves in the body and runs through each hip and down the side of each leg to the knee. From there, the nerve splits into other nerves that reach all the way into your toes.
Sciatica is when you feel pain anywhere there’s a connection to the sciatic nerve. This pain can feel mild or severe, and you can feel it in your:
- Hips
- Back
- Legs
- Feet
- Between the toes.
Sciatica pain has a number of causes, including:
- Herniated discs
- Piriformis syndrome
- Being overweight
- Poor posture
- Bone spurs
- Spinal stenosis
- Osteoarthritis
- Pregnancy
- Spondylolisthesis
- Sudden injury (like a car accident)
How Does a Chiropractor Treat Sciatic Pain?
While exercises and physical therapy can strengthen your muscles and over-the-counter medications provide sciatica pain relief, chiropractic care and adjustments for sciatica can also improve your sciatica symptoms. Your chiropractor may use one or several chiropractic treatments to treat your sciatic nerve pain.
Chiropractic Adjustments
Chiropractic adjustments are gentle and controlled movements that help align your spine and release muscle tension. While chiropractic adjustments can’t fix your sciatica, they can provide sciatica relief.
As an example, a herniated disc is a common cause of sciatic pain. A chiropractor may use the flexion-distraction technique of pelvic blocking treatments to reduce tension and inflammation to relieve pain.
Prenatal Chiropractic Care
Between the baby’s growth, weight gain, and shifting center of gravity, it’s common to experience sciatica during and even after pregnancy. Gentle adjustments, like the Webster Technique, can reduce pain in your back and hips caused by sciatica.
Pregnancy massage can also reduce the painful symptoms of sciatica. Unlike chiropractic, pregnancy massage focuses on releasing tense muscles, which can reduce your pain.
Medical Massage
Medical massage is a massage therapy that targets the deep layers of your muscles. It can release muscle tension around the sciatic nerve and improve blood flow throughout the body to reduce inflammation.
How Often Will I Need to See the Chiropractor for My Sciatica?
Chiropractic treatment cannot cure sciatica. However, regular adjustments and care can treat sciatica and the discomfort it causes.
As for how many chiropractic treatments you’ll need, that depends on your individual needs, pain level, and long-term health goals. Your chiropractor will outline the details in your treatment plan, including how often you’ll need to see them and for how long.
Most patients report feeling pain relief within a few appointments, but to maintain your progress, you’ll likely need to meet with your chiropractor regularly for several months or even years.
>>Learn More: How Often Should You See a Chiropractor?
When Should I Seek Chiropractic for My Sciatica?
Mild cases of sciatica often resolve themselves within four to six weeks. However, if the pain continues after six weeks or worsens, you may need to meet with a chiropractor or other medical professional as it could cause long-term complications like:
- Increased pain
- Muscle weakness
- Tingling throughout the leg
- Permanent nerve damage
Find Relief
The number of times you’ll need to meet with your chiropractor for your sciatica depends on what’s causing the pain and how severe your pain is. While some sciatica resolves on its own, working with a chiropractor can improve how you feel quickly and ensure you protect your sciatic nerve in the future.
Whether your sciatica is from pregnancy, an injury, or something else, the compassionate, caring team at Flourish Chiropractic Spa is here to help. They’ll work with you to design a holistic, individualized treatment plan that relieves your sciatic pain, restores your mobility, and helps you lead a healthier, pain-free life. Schedule an appointment today.
