You Need To Consider Doing This If Your Sciatica Is Not Improving With Chiropractic Care
Sciatica is a debilitating condition that can cause pain, numbness, and tingling sensations that radiate from the lower back down through the hips and legs. Whether caused by a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or other underlying conditions, sciatica can severely affect your mobility, making it difficult to sit, stand, or walk comfortably.
The emotional toll of sciatica can be just as overwhelming as the physical pain. The constant discomfort and fear of the pain recurring can leave you feeling frustrated, stressed, and restricted in your daily activities. If chiropractic care hasn’t provided lasting relief from your sciatica, it might be time to explore other treatments that address the root cause and provide long-term results.
Chiropractic Care: A Common Approach to Treating Sciatica
Chiropractic care is often used to treat sciatica, with an emphasis on spinal adjustments and manipulation. Chiropractors use their hands to apply controlled force to the spine and surrounding areas, aiming to correct potential misalignments, reduce pressure on the nerves, and improve overall spinal function. For some individuals, chiropractic care can help alleviate the pain, inflammation, and discomfort associated with sciatica.
However, chiropractic care can be repetitive and time-consuming. Frequent adjustments may be needed to maintain any relief, and the cost of ongoing sessions can add up over time. While chiropractic treatments can provide short-term comfort, they may not always address the underlying cause of your sciatica, leaving you in need of continual sessions to manage the pain rather than achieving lasting relief.
Why Getting a Clear Diagnosis Is Crucial
Sciatica can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions, and identifying the root cause is key to effective treatment. Here are five common causes of sciatica:
- Herniated Disc – A slipped or ruptured disc in the spine can press on the sciatic nerve, causing pain that radiates down the leg.
- Spinal Stenosis – A narrowing of the spinal canal can place pressure on the sciatic nerve, leading to pain, numbness, and weakness.
- Piriformis Syndrome – Tightness or inflammation in the piriformis muscle, located in the buttocks, can irritate the sciatic nerve.
- Degenerative Disc Disease – As we age, the spinal discs lose their cushioning ability, making them more prone to damage and resulting in pain.
- Spondylolisthesis – A condition in which one vertebra slips over another, putting pressure on the sciatic nerve and causing pain.
In addition to these common causes, there are two less common but potentially serious causes of sciatica:
- Spinal Tumors – Tumors near the spine can press on the sciatic nerve, causing pain and neurological symptoms.
- Infections – Spinal infections can lead to inflammation and compress the nerve roots, resulting in sciatica pain.
The Need for Imaging to Get a Precise Diagnosis
It’s important to understand that sciatica cannot always be fully diagnosed based on symptoms alone. Imaging techniques such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans are essential to determine the exact cause of the pain. These diagnostic tools help healthcare providers visualize the spine, discs, nerves, and surrounding tissues, enabling them to accurately diagnose the issue and create a targeted treatment plan.
The Pain Relief Clinic: Your Partner in Finding a Clear Diagnosis
At The Pain Relief Clinic, we understand how sciatica can limit your ability to move and affect your daily life. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in offering non-invasive diagnostic services to uncover the root cause of your pain. If you’ve been struggling with sciatica and haven’t found lasting relief, we can arrange for affordable scans, typically within one working day. Medisave can often be used to help cover the cost of these scans, making them more accessible for you.
We also assist with insurance claims, including accident insurance, travel insurance, and company insurance, ensuring that you can access the care you need without added financial burden.
Once we have a clear diagnosis, we can provide targeted treatments, solutions, and non-invasive technology to help alleviate your sciatica and restore your mobility.
Ready to take control of your sciatica pain? Send us a message today to arrange an appointment and begin your journey toward lasting relief from sciatica.
What To Expect When I Visit The Pain Relief Clinic
A typical visit will involve our doctor first understanding your medical history, concerns and previous experience with other pain treatments.
For patients who have consulted many people but have yet to receive a clear diagnosis, selecting an affordable imaging scan might be recommended to confirm the cause of your pain..
Some patients have already done scans with other doctors for their pain condition but are still not clearly told what they suffer from.
Dr Terence Tan is happy to offer you a second opinion and recommend how best to manage your condition.
We also see patients who already have a confirmed diagnosis from specialist pain doctors, but are "stuck” because treatment options offered are not practical or acceptable.
We can help by discussing options that you might have potentially never been told of.
A common experience is when a patient has already consulted a specialist doctor for pain management and is told to consider orthopaedic surgery which they find too aggressive.
Or they may have seen doctors for their pain and were prescribed painkillers with potential side effects which made them feel uncomfortable.
Many of our patients have also first tried complementary treatments or acupuncture with traditional Chinese pain doctors.
They look for a second opinion after finding any relief experienced from other treatments to be temporary or requiring repetitive treatments, which add up to time and cost.
Especially in such situations, we emphasize using non-invasive medical technology you likely have not been told about .
This can make a big difference to your results.