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Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatica in Tunbridge Wells
We’re often told that experiencing a few aches and pains now and then is normal. But in fact, there is nothing normal about pain – it’s your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. At Vale Health we are dedicated to the effective treatment of debilitating conditions like sciatica.
Sciatica is a particularly tricky and frustrating problem because it not only affects the back but also the leg, the glutes and even the shoulder in many cases. To treat such a problem we believe in the importance of getting a clear picture of where the problem may lie – and that quite simply means getting to know more about you and your body.
At our clinic, seeking support for your medical concerns is a relaxing and comforting experience, not a daunting one. During your first appointment, you’ll be invited to have a simple chat with one of our professionals about not only a specific concern such as sciatica, but also about your general health. By answering some straightforward questions, you’ll provide us with an in-depth overview of your wellbeing and any factors contributing to your pain.
You don’t need to bring anything with you to your appointment. We just advise you to dress comfortably. If you’ve had any X-rays or tests in the past, you may want to bring the results along with you.
Your first appointment will also include an orthopaedic and neurological examination to help us understand more about your pain, allowing us to find the right treatment for you. Our sciatica treatment usually includes chiropractic adjustment, massage and stretching, as well as advising you on simple exercises you can complete at home. You can also arrange a follow-up appointment with a member of our team while you’re visiting us.
What is sciatica?
The pain that comes with sciatica is due to your sciatic nerve, this nerve runs from your lower back and then will head down your legs right to your toes. This nerve feeds your brain with messages from your legs, it is responsible for walking and moving your legs, and is incredibly important and incredibly large too.
There are a number of reasons why sciatica pain happens, one is that there is a trapped nerve in the lumbar spine, which is, in turn, affecting the sciatic nerve. Another possible cause is a disc herniation, which will mean that a disc within your spine is pressing on your lower lumber nerve roots, and in turn the sciatic nerve.
The common signs and symptoms of sciatica
Pain is one of the most obvious signs that comes with sciatica, this pain more often than not comes from the lower back, which then will travel through the thigh and can move even further down the leg, even reaching the toes and the feet. It isn’t only pain that you can feel with sciatica, but also tingling and burning, as well as numbness or weakness in the muscles of your leg. Sciatica, more often than not, will only effect one of your legs.
How can you treat sciatic pain
The thing to remember about sciatica is that it isn’t a medical condition in itself, it is a description of the pain that you feel. This means that it can be hard to pick up on sciatica and then in turn treat it. You need to think about what could be the underlying cause of the pain as this will help to decide on what the best treatment approach could be.
One of the best ways to treat sciatic pain is with chiropractic treatment, as this type of treatment works with your body, all in order to help it to heal itself. Sciatic pain can be helped with physical therapy, which is something that a chiropractor can help with. There will be stretching and exercise plans put in place, which will not help you to feel better, but also take any of the pressure that is causing a problem with your sciatic nerve.
Chiropractic treatments also can involve stretching and massages too, both of which will also help your muscles to relax and, if there are any problems within your spine, then this will also help with this issue.
A chiropractor is an expert in what they do, which means that they can recommend approaches that you can take in the future, not only will this help with the sciatic pain that you feel, but also treating it and helping it in the future.
You may find that you are recommended to try exercise, as keeping your legs moving can help with inflammation, which in turn can help with a variety of pain too. You may also find out that hot and cold packs, which can then be applied to the areas that are painful, relieving some of the discomfort and pain.
There are some medical approaches that you can also take to treat sciatic pain, however, this may not be a preferred approach for some people to take, so it may be worthwhile to explore other avenues that you prefer.
So, if you are concerned that you have sciatic pain and you want to find a way to treat it, then you may want to speak to your local chiropractor. Not only will they be able to identify the issue, but they can also treat the problem and give you recommendations on what to do in the future in order to stop the pain from feeling quite as overwhelming as it has in the past.