Some people who consult with our chiropractor in Oakland, CA may have sciatica. Patients who are no strangers to sciatica understand how challenging and frustrating it is to deal with pain.

Often, the burning, sharp, and stabbing sensation beginning on the lower back and radiating towards the rest of the lower body causes debilitating pain that can last for minutes or hours. It can impact day to day activities and even the overall quality of your life.

Most of the patients report the following symptoms: 

• Chronic shooting or burning pain on one leg or side of your buttocks
• Worsening pain when you try to stand, walk or sit for long hours 
• Radiating pain that affects the foot and toes 
• Leg pain feels more like searing, tingling, or burning instead of a dull ache
• You have a hard time moving the affected leg, foot, and toes 
• Muscle numbness or weakness 

Our patients also note varying severity and frequency of their symptoms. Some experience their symptoms rarely. Others, unfortunately, have it worst as they suffer severe bouts of pain. The differences between each case largely depend on the severity of the sciatic nerve compression or irritation. 

All About the Sciatic Nerve

The sciatic nerve is the largest in the body. It’s about as thick as your small finger. It travels through your hip down to the tip of the legs. Sometimes, the nerves and the nerve roots become irritated or pinched, causing the condition sciatica.

If you or a family member deals with this painful health problem, getting acquainted with some crucial facts about the sciatic nerve can help manage pain: 

• Parts of the sciatic nerve supply sensation to the lower extremities, such as the leg, thigh, foot, and toes.
• The topmost portion of the sciatic nerve is located on the L3 lumbar vertebrae. 
• The sciatic nerve includes nerve roots found on your lower back. 

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and lower back pain, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.

How Does Sciatica Develop?

Most of the patients who visit a specific chiropractor in Oakland, CA, are in their 40s to 50s. Here at our clinic, we have middle-aged patients and those in their early 20s who complain about sciatica.

In the USA, 1 out of 4 patients report symptoms of sciatica. For most patients, their condition tends to develop gradually. Some notice their sciatica's onset because of a herniated disc, a narrowing lumbar spinal canal, and spondylolisthesis.  

Sometimes, the discomfort and pain go away after a couple of weeks. However, if the nerve compression or irritation doesn’t resolve, the pain can continue for months or years, causing disability or discomfort. 

Tips for Easing Sciatica Pain

Besides finding hope from a specific chiropractor in Oakland, CA, you can also ease your sciatica pain by following some simple techniques: 

• Massaging the affected area

Massages can help reduce nerve inflammation and muscle stiffness. It may also come in handy in improving blood circulation.

• Applying a cold then hot compress

Remember to use a cold compress to deal with inflammation and a hot compress to boost blood and other fluids' circulation. Ideally, you should use ice when you start feeling sore. Applying heat would only result in increased inflammation.    

• Performing simple stretching exercises

Although muscle soreness can sometimes make it extra hard to move, doing gentle stretching exercises can provide you with many benefits. It enables your muscles to loosen up and strengthens your core, so you have better spine support. Simple stretching exercises also relieve pressure on the back and legs, helping you cope with the pain better.  

• Using support structure for the back

If you frequently sit for office work, you might experience worse bouts of pain. Fortunately, you can counter that with the use of a back supporting structure. Ideally, you should invest in ergonomic chairs and tables. They can help you keep a good sitting posture and prevent putting too much pressure on the sciatic nerve and your spine.

• Using hydrotherapy

Some of our patients also find relief from immersing their sore body in a warm bath. You’d be surprised by how a simple bath can work wonders for your inflamed and stiff muscles.

Sciatica Pain and Specific Chiropractic 

Nowadays, most patients hope to ease their pain from sciatica through natural methods such as specific chiropractic care. Here at Life Chiropractic, we focus on evaluating the entire spine to find bone misalignments, from top to bottom.

Abnormalities in the spinal bones could potentially lead to all kinds of health problems. If your neck gets displaced even by the smallest degree, your spine and the rest of the body need to compensate to support the head. Your shoulders level may become uneven, causing one side of your hip to appear higher. It could also make one of your legs to appear shorter than the other. 

Ultimately, these body adjustments could potentially result in increased nerve compression or irritation. It can trigger worse symptoms that could last longer than your usual episodes. By receiving specific and precise chiropractic care, you could reduce the severity of your sciatica and pain or even get rid of the symptoms all together. 

We use gentle and specific chiropractic adjustments, allowing your body to heal independently. It’s a gradual process that aims to provide you with sustainable results.    

You can book a consultation session with our specific chiropractor in Oakland, CA to find out more. Please send a message through our website form.

To schedule a special consultation in our Oakland office call (510) 594-9994, or just click the button below.