Do you experience a sharp, shooting pain that runs from your lower back to your legs? In that case, you might have sciatica. Sciatica is a common back condition that affects up to 40% of the adult population. While many cases of sciatica are mild and may improve with rest, patients with severe sciatica may experience chronic pain and muscle weakness that affects their lower back.
If sciatica is left untreated, it can affect your quality of life. Therefore, we recommend seeking treatment as soon as possible if you notice your condition significantly impacts your way of life. Most conventional treatments for sciatica involve medication or invasive procedures. However, if you are uncomfortable or would like to seek an alternative approach, you can consider visiting a chiropractic clinic in Singapore. Chiropractic treatments have been found to be effective in alleviating pain and treating sciatica.
How our chiropractor can help you with Sciatica?
Our chiropractor takes a holistic approach to treating sciatica. Depending on the assessment of your condition, our chiropractor will recommend various sciatica treatments – either alone or in conjunction with other therapies – to help relieve pain and allow the body to heal itself naturally.
1. Neuromuscular therapy
Our chiropractor may recommend neuromuscular therapy to induce deep muscle relaxation and trigger the release of endorphins within your body to act as natural painkillers. Such treatments involve soft tissue manipulation and are directed towards soothing and relieving your sciatica pain.
2. Heat and cold therapies
Heat therapies are designed to release tight muscles and dull the pain. Conversely, cold therapies – such as cryotherapy – aim to slow down blood flow and ease signs of inflammation. Our chiropractor may recommend alternating between both methods to provide quick relief from your sciatica pain. Based on the assessment of your condition, they will know whether to consider both approaches and how often they should alternate between each therapy.
Learn More: When To Use Cold Or Heat?
3. Chiropractic adjustments
Sciatica may be caused by a herniated disc in your spine pressing on your sciatic nerve, causing pain. When this occurs, our chiropractor will perform spinal manipulations to adjust the herniated disc back into position and alleviate pressure on the sciatic nerve. Such chiropractic adjustments can also restore misaligned vertebral discs and free limited spinal movement.
4. Spinal decompression
Occasionally, the discs in your spine may dry out naturally and become thinner, resulting in pinching or compression of the nerve in your lower back, causing sciatica. On these occasions, our chiropractor will perform spinal decompression to relieve the nerve compression causing your sciatica pain.
5. Prescribed exercises
Depending on the root cause of your sciatica pain, our chiropractor will recommend exercises that help release pressure from inflamed and tight muscles. These exercises involve stretching activities that you can easily do at home. For example, yoga is effective for soothing sciatica pain. Specific yoga poses, like the reclining pigeon pose, help stretch your piriformis muscle, thereby releasing pressure on the sciatic nerve.
6. Lifestyle changes
As we mentioned, our chiropractors take a holistic approach to treatment. They will evaluate all aspects of your life and recommend lifestyle changes, such as how you stand, sit, sleep, and lift, to safeguard the sciatic nerve. They can also provide guidance on how to strengthen your back muscles to keep the disc in place, preventing them from slipping and placing pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Visit our chiropractic clinic and get treated today!
Although sciatica is a common back condition plaguing many adults in Singapore, there is no reason for you to tolerate it. Sciatica pain can be debilitating, affecting your daily life. Therefore, we recommend seeking treatment immediately. At Orchard Health Clinic, our chiropractors are well-equipped to assess your condition and provide suitable sciatica treatments to help relieve your pain. Contact us to schedule an appointment with our team of healthcare professionals today!
