Sciatica Treatment in Knoxville

Chiropractic doctors regularly treat and provide relief of sciatic nerve pain. The sciatic nerve runs from the lumbar and sacral region of the lower back, passes behind the hip joints, and runs down each leg.

The sciatic nerve’s function is to send signals from the brain to the leg muscles, and information from the legs to the brain. If you have a cramping sensation in your thigh, shooting pain from the buttocks down the leg, or a tingling or burning sensation in your legs, you likely have sciatica.

Sciatica itself is not a disorder, but rather a symptom of another disorder you have. Most often, sciatica is caused by a herniated spinal disc; the disc pushes out onto the sciatic nerve and compresses it. It can also be caused by misaligned vertebrae. Men who sit on a back pocket wallet for too long each day sometimes experience sciatica. Pregnant women can also experience this type of pain as well. If you injure your piriformis muscle, which helps with hip rotation, the sciatic nerve can be affected because it runs underneath the muscle. This muscle problem is common in patients with hip arthritis or different leg lengths, as well as in slip and fall injuries.

Our Chiropractor in Knoxville Will Determine the Best Sciatica Treatment for You

It is important for a chiropractor to properly diagnose sciatica through a review of the patient’s medical history, a physical exam, and a neurological evaluation. Then, chiropractic treatment will be used to relieve restricted spinal movement, thus alleviating pain, increasing movement and function, and helping the body to heal itself. The type of treatment varies depending on the root cause of sciatica and may include spinal manipulation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), manual therapy (such as dry needling, augmented fibrotic release, or Active Release Therapy), ultrasound heat therapy, and/or ice therapy.

Our Knoxville sciatica doctor may also recommend spinal adjustments, which are of course the core treatment of chiropractic care. Spinal manipulation lessens restriction on the spine and its movement, and restores misaligned vertebrae to their proper position, which helps reduce nerve irritability. Once spinal pressure is off the nerve, the nerve will function normally, thus alleviating sciatica symptoms such as pain, muscle spasms, and inflammation of the nerve. Spinal manipulation is safe and effective, and adjustments are not painful.

We may also use a variety of other modalities to help treat your sciatica symptoms. For example, we may use myofascial cupping with movements, dry needling, or active release technique. Dr. Bert will determine which treatment modality will work best for you.

Contact Us Today for Knoxville Sciatica Treatments

While sciatica can be caused by other disorders not mentioned above, most often it is caused by spinal misalignment or herniated disc, and you can get great relief from Dr. Bert at Knoxville Spine and Sports. As always, if you have sciatica caused by another disorder, Dr. Bert will refer you to another specialist and they will work together to co-manage your care. Call us for an appointment at (865) 245-5310.