Sciatica is a condition characterized by pain in the legs and the lower back. It often also presents with tingling, numbness, and weakness in the lower limbs. This is the largest nerve in the human body and carries a huge number of signals between the legs and the brain.
Sciatica is caused by pressure placed on the nerve. This can be pressure caused by a damaged bone or joint, it can be pressure caused by a sprained or torn muscle, or it can be pressure caused by infection.
Because sciatica can have such a range of causes, the precise symptoms can vary slightly. The pain can be felt in different parts of the legs and the back and it might feel more like numbness and tingling, or more like sharp, shooting pains.
At the same time, this also means that sciatica needs to be treated differently depending on the precise cause. And of course, that also affects the prognosis.
In some cases, that means that sciatica can be treated very quickly and permanently. In others, it can be an ongoing chronic complaint.
Either way, here are 10 sciatica treatments that can be very effective, depending on the precise nature and cause of the problem.
1. Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care is care that revolves primarily around realigning the spine and correcting problems with the posture and the back. This is often done through a range of manipulation techniques, as well as other lifestyle adjustments and exercises that the patient can do at home.
You would be amazed at how realigning parts of your upper back or even your neck can result in an immediate improvement to your lower back – but this is how chiropractors work.
Sixty percent of people who didn’t get relief from other forms found that chiropractic care was useful. So, it’s worth giving it a try, even if nothing else seems to have worked.