What to Know About Lower Back Pain and Sciatica
Lower back pain can either be a nuisance or completely debilitating. It is important to understand that there are different causes to your discomfort or pain like sciatica. Sciatica is different from common back pain. With this condition, you might feel pain or uncomfortable nerve sensations that run from your lower back and down one leg, reaching into your calf or foot. Nerve sensations can include numbness, tingling, burning, and muscle weakness. The source of sciatica is nerve compression affecting the sciatic nerve. The key to effective sciatica or lower back pain treatment is to start with an examination. If you are dealing with sciatica, our team at Makati Chiropractic in Pacifica, CA can help you find relief.
What Is Sciatica
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is pinched or irritated. This causes shooting pains from the buttocks down the leg. A spinal misalignment can lead to sciatica. This happens when the structures in the hip and lower back compress the sciatic nerve, which leads to irritation and inflammation. Chiropractic adjustments work to properly align the spine by removing compression from the sciatic nerve. In some cases, sciatica is caused by a herniated or slipped disk or narrowing of the spine. Typically, sciatica symptoms will only impact one side of the body.
Causes of Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain can either be acute or chronic. Chronic lower back pain is when the pain or discomfort continues for 12 weeks or longer. This type of pain usually involves a disc problem, joint issue, or an irritated nerve root. Other causes of chronic lower back pain are degenerative disc disease, facet joint dysfunction, spinal stenosis, deformity, or trauma. A bulging or herniated disc can cause serious pain when a lumbar disc breaks through the outer layer and irritating a neighboring nerve root. Arthritis could also affect your back and cause pain. This condition specifically causes the joints in your back to swell. Acute lower back pain is usually caused by poor posture or minor strains in the body.
Diagnosis
If you have back pain or sciatica symptoms, you can visit our chiropractor for a diagnosis. Our team will test the range of motion in your back and look for signs of swelling, inflammation, or other similar symptoms. Our chiropractor will want to know if you had a recent injury, a family history of back problems, or any previous back injuries or surgeries. We use imaging technology to properly assess any issues hidden to the naked eye.
Treatment
Our practice examines clients with a variety of neck, back, and back pain issues. If you are concerned about possibly having sciatica, specific attention will be paid to your back, hips, legs, and feet. Your personal treatment plan will depend on your particular symptoms.
If you are suffering from lower back pain or sciatica, your treatment will often include a lower back adjustment and decompression therapy. Adjusting or releasing direct pressure or stress on the nerve provides relief. If sciatic pain is caused in your hip, your treatment might include other therapies to relax muscles around and in the hips. Stretches, deep tissue massage, and other chiropractic care like acupuncture and cold laser therapy are combined to release tension from muscles and connective tissue that may be pinching the nerve.
Contact Us for Help
Schedule an appointment with our team at Makati Chiropractic, so we can help you find relief from your lower back pain or sciatica. Offering a combination of chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy, our clinic will create a customized plan that works best for you. Contact us at 650-738-8080 to find out how we can help you live pain-free.