Since its first documentation in the 15th century, sciatica is one of the most common types of nerve pain, affecting up to 40% of the population. Many people live with this pain daily, and it can become unbearable.
Upstate Spine & Sport offers innovative treatment options for your musculoskeletal injuries and ailments, including sciatica pain. We maintain the highest nonsurgical care level, providing Greenville, SC, and the surrounding communities with chiropractic services, therapeutic massage and rehabilitation, physical assessments, and acupuncture.
For more information about our services, or to schedule an appointment, visit our website.
What Is Sciatica? | Sciatica Symptoms
Sciatica refers to the persistent pain that occurs when your sciatic nerve becomes pinched. The sciatic nerve begins in your lower back and splits off into two branches before traveling through your hips and buttocks, then further down into your legs and feet. When the nerve becomes compressed, usually by a herniated disk in the lower back, it results in chronic sciatica pain.
Other causes of sciatica pain include:
- Chronic inflammation
- Bone spurs (an overgrowth of bone) on the vertebrae
- Injury to the vertebrae
- Arthritis
- Damage by chronic diseases such as diabetes
The primary symptom of sciatica is pain, which varies from a mild ache to excruciating. Other sciatica symptoms you may also feel include sharpness, a burning sensation, or jolts along the nerve like electric shocks. Some people also suffer from numbness and tingling, and these feelings may happen simultaneously in different parts of the leg. Muscle weakness is also a sciatica symptom many people report. Visit our sciatica page for more information.
Sciatica Treatment | Sciatica Relief
For many people with sciatica nerve pain, self-care is an effective sciatica treatment. Sometimes rest may help, but too much inactivity may increase pain instead.
Various therapies are very effective in treating the discomfort of sciatica pain. A chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, and massage therapy, and directional preference therapy help relieve the pain, correct posture issues, improve flexibility, and strengthen the back muscles.
Read on for more information about our treatments, or call us at (864) 635-4063 for more information or schedule an appointment today.
Chiropractor for Sciatica
Seeing a chiropractor for sciatica should be your first thought since chiropractic treatment can effectively relieve pain and decrease reoccurrence. A sciatica chiropractor will begin by conversing with you about your pain relief goals and setting a realistic timeline for treatment and recovery.
Chiropractor adjustments focus on restoring proper alignment, increasing your range of motion, and decreasing the frequency of pain and intensity. Increasing your range of motion helps to reduce inflammation in the spine. Improvement of range of motion and proper postural alignment may also take the pressure off the nerve, relieving pain.
Acupuncture for Sciatica
Acupuncture for sciatica is another treatment course that yields significant sciatica relief. Acupuncture helps shorten the recovery time after a nerve injury by encouraging motor nerve fibers and sensory neurons to regenerate.
In the practice of acupuncture, tiny needles are inserted at specific locations, called “acupoints,” to trigger nerve responses. These responses send messages to the brain, which reacts by increasing blood flow, relaxing the muscles, and releasing endorphins that alleviate your sciatica pain.
Contact Upstate Spine & Sport for more information about our acupuncture for sciatica treatment.
Massage for Sciatica
The benefits of massage for sciatica go beyond the physical. While massage therapy improves circulation and relaxes tight muscles, it also reduces stress and tension, creating a more healing environment for your nerves.
Depending on the type of stretches for sciatica or sciatica exercises you engage in, it can work on your nerves, muscles, joints, and connective tissues, easing sciatica pain as it:
- Stretches, loosens, and relaxes muscles
- Improves blood circulation and the transport of healing nutrients
- Releases endorphins
- Lowers stress levels
The trained professionals at Upstate Spine & Sport are experts in applying massage as a treatment for sciatica. Learn more about sciatica massage as a sciatica treatment.
Upstate Spine & Sport | Your Sciatica Relief Experts | Greenville, SC
Sciatica relief may seem out of reach, but there are many solutions that can alleviate the pain and restore your ability to function. Treatments, including chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, and massage, are the most effective in reducing and relieving sciatica discomfort.
At Upstate Spine & Sport, our advanced diagnostic and treatment approach focuses on you. The goal is not merely to relieve your pain, but to empower you to live your best life and live it pain-free.
Want to know more about Upstate Spine & Sport in Greenville, SC, and how we can help you relieve your pain? Contact us at (864) 635-4063 or meet our team here.