Sciatica in Louisville KY: Get Natural and Effective Pain Relief
Many residents in Louisville, KY, suffer from sciatic pain. This condition is described as a shooting pain that runs down the back of the leg and into the foot. Chiropractic adjustments can help relieve this pain naturally.
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body. It originates in the lower back, which has five bones called the lumbar spine. At each level of the lumbar spine, nerves exit to form the lumbar plexus – a plexus of nerves running down through each leg. These nerves supply nerves to the skin, muscles, and other organs of the lower part of the body. When these nerves are irritated, you can experience a burning, shooting, or stabbing pain that radiates down to the back of the leg into the foot. The irritation can also cause pain in the groin.
Dr. Randal Wheeler D.C., understands the causes of sciatica, anatomy, physiology, and possible treatment options. He can help you relieve sciatica pain through chiropractic adjustments. His office, Westport Chiropractic and Rehab, is located at 4169 Westport Rd, Louisville, KY 40207.
Dr. Wheeler’s chiropractic clinic is currently offering a our new patient special offer.
Causes of Sciatica Pain
This pain can be triggered by several different things. One of the most common causes is poor posture. In this day and age, proper posture is under attack due to jobs that require long periods of sitting or standing.
If your job involves standing or sitting, proper ergonomics are necessary to avoid abnormal or uneven pressure on the lower back, which can lead to nerve irritation and the beginning Sciatic pain.
Irritation of this nerve can also originate from disc compression in the lumbar spine. These discs are cartilaginous, which means the outer portion of a disc is made up of cartilage and the middle of a jelly-like substance called the nucleus.
The disc can be damaged through repetitive motion or due to trauma. Once these discs are injured, the outer portion weakens, and the fluid in the center migrates toward the weakened area. This can cause a bulging or herniation of the disc material, compressing the nerves of the lumbar plexus and causing sciatic pain.
Spinal misalignments can also cause this type of pain. The lower back and pelvis bones can be rotated, causing abnormal pressure on the disc and nerves. This leads to irritation or entrapment of the nerve and causes sciatic pain. Along with spinal misalignment, the surrounding muscles work in compensating patterns, causing entrapment of the nerve and pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Talk to a sciatica chiropractor near you.
OFFICE HOURS
Monday to Thursday
8:30am – 12:00pm
2:30pm – 6:00pm
Friday to Sunday
Closed
Westport Chiropractic and Rehab
4169 Westport Rd #107
Louisville, KY 40207
Treatment Options in Louisville KY
Treatment options vary depending on the cause of the sciatic pain.
At Westport Chiropractic and Rehab in Louisville, our goal is first to determine the cause of the pain. This is done through a proper exam, which consists of orthopedic and neurological tests and surface EMG to determine muscular activity and whether spinal muscularity is unbalanced.
We also use digital X-rays and an MRI/CAT Scan if needed. Once the cause of the nerve compression has been determined, a proper treatment program can be created. This can involve chiropractic adjustments for spinal misalignment, determined through x-ray analysis and postural examination.
If a damaged disc causes the pain, spinal decompression is used to remove the positive pressure on the disc. Decompression helps create a negative pressure on the disc. Taking the pressure off the disc material creates an environment in which the damaged disc material can heal.
If the nerve is entrapped in a muscle, such as piriformis syndrome, specific myofascial techniques are used. These techniques break up myofascial adhesions, aka scar tissue in the muscle. The adhesions can cause an entrapment of the nerve in the muscle, leading to nerve compression.
Once the pressure is removed from the nerve, pain may continue due to the amount of pressure placed on the nerve. Nerves have a material that surrounds them called myelin. It is similar to the coating you see on wires. This material can be bruised and takes time to heal. So, a level of pain may continue following treatment until complete healing continues.
Once the cause of the pain has been determined and proper treatment has begun, a specific rehabilitation program that includes balance exercises is implemented as part of the treatment plan.
A weak core often contributes to this type of nerve pain. There is a lot of confusion regarding core stability. The human body’s core consists of two muscles, the multifidus and the transverse abdominis.
These muscles are attached directly to the spine. These muscles are activated through balance. Patients are often asked the last time they rode a bike, walked on a balance beam, or went roller skating.
Most people’s balance hasn’t been challenged since they were a child. To help strengthen these muscles, certain exercises are performed on balance balls and a proprioception platform. These exercises create balance challenges to make the proper muscles fire. Along with balance exercises, lower abdominal exercises are also performed to help reduce excessive lordosis (curve) in the lumbar spine.
If you or someone you know is in need of treatment for sciatic pain, call Westport Chiropractic and Rehab in Louisville at (502) 326-5000 for a proper evaluation and an effective treatment plan designed based on your needs.
Westport Chiropractic and Rehab
4169 Westport Rd #107
Louisville, KY 40207
Office Hours
Monday to Thursday:
8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
2:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Friday to Sunday:
Closed