Sciatica Treatment in Ottawa
Sciatica refers to pain that starts in the buttock region and extends down one or both legs. It usually gets worse with periods of sitting or standing. This type of discomfort often affects pregnant women, those with lumbar disc herniations, and spinal stenosis.
Typical Symptoms
- Hip pain
- A tingling, electric or burning feeling down the leg
- Weakness, numbness, or a difficult time moving the leg or foot
- Continual discomfort that affects one side of the buttocks
- A shooting pain that makes it uncomfortable to stand up
Our Natural Approach
Chiropractic treatments can help to relieve sciatic discomfort. Improving joint motion in the lower back with our natural care starts with a consultation and thorough examination. We’ll let you know if we think you can benefit from our care. If we think another healthcare practitioner can better address your nerve pain, we’ll let you know that too.
At Ottawa Health: Performance and Rehabilitation, we offer a comprehensive approach to care that may include physiotherapy in addition to chiropractic care. Our chiropractors and physiotherapists address sciatica in a similar fashion, and our practitioners collaborate and share their knowledge and experiences to develop a care plan for your specific needs and goals. This collaboration helps our patients achieve the best results possible. You may begin care with one of our chiropractors, and they may recommend physiotherapy as well to help facilitate your rehabilitation.
Chiropractic Care for Sciatica
Our chiropractors will often help patients with sciatica through techniques that target potential entrapments of the sciatic nerve in different locations. These techniques may include:
- Spinal manipulation is used to help relieve the nerves in the spine which form the sciatic nerve.
- Electroacupuncture is effective for directly stimulating the sciatic nerve in order to promote recovery. It also helps release surrounding muscles that may be putting pressure on the sciatic nerve.
- Exercise and soft tissue therapy help to improve the movement of the sciatic nerve and minimize unwanted pressure or nerve tension that cause pain.
Physiotherapy for Sciatica
Our physiotherapists also manage sciatica in a similar fashion as our Chiropractors but with a stronger emphasis on physical therapy and exercises. We use targeted therapy that may include:
- Nerve flossing exercises to release nerve root tension.
- Electroacupuncture is effective for directly stimulating the sciatic nerve in order to promote recovery. It also helps release surrounding muscles that may be putting pressure on the sciatic nerve.
- Exercise to strengthen the areas that may have been involved in the development of sciatica
- Prescribed exercises and/or stretches for prevention and continued success!
Timeline for Relief
Of course, each patient is unique, and your care plan is designed for your specific needs. Our goal is to get you out of pain as quickly as possible. Patients often experience immediate improvement, with continuing improvement occurring over the course of care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can chiropractic cure sciatica?
Get Started Today
Contact us today to book your appointment. We’ll do everything we can to help you get back to feeling your best, naturally!
