Sciatica is a common problem that affects anywhere from 10-40% of the population in the United States. Though there may be some comfort in knowing that you aren’t alone, it does little to relieve your pain. And that's where we come in.
At Mass Ave Chiropractic, Dr. Joe Kielur and our team take an innovative and comprehensive approach to sciatica with the goal of relieving your pain while addressing the underlying problem. Called the DRS Protocols, we explore how we can remedy your pain and help your body heal, getting you back to pain-free movement.
Sciatica isn’t a condition, but a set of symptoms that are caused by a nerve compression in your lower back. The nerve in question is your sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in your body. This nerve begins in your lower back and then splits and runs down both sides of your buttocks and into your legs and feet.
When this nerve is compressed or irritated in your lower back, not only can it lead to local pain, but it can also cause symptoms that extend down your buttocks and legs, including pain, tingling, and numbness.
Sciatica commonly affects only one side of your lower body, but the degree of your symptoms depends upon the degree of the nerve impingement.
In most cases, sciatica stems from a problem in one of the intervertebral discs in your lumbar spine. A herniated disc is one that “leaks” or bulges out of its vertebral space and pushes up against sensitive nerve roots like your sciatic nerve.
If you come to us with sciatica, our goal is not only to relieve your immediate pain and discomfort, but also to remedy the underlying cause. To do this, we turn to the DRS Protocols, which stands for Decompression, Reduction, and Stabilization.
As we mentioned, the most common causes of sciatica are problems with your discs. Your spine contains 23 discs, which cushion and support your vertebrae. Over time, these discs can lose moisture content or succumb to wear-and-tear, which leaves them vulnerable to rupture or bulging.
Through DRS, we apply axial force around the injured or weakened disc to create negative pressure. With the positive pressure around your disc eliminated, it allows more resources to flow in, such as water and oxygen, which helps to restore your discs’ health and moisture content.
Depending upon the severity of the disc damage, you may require a series of chiropractic treatments to adjust your spine and relieve the pressure on your discs. You’ll find that your pain will ease quickly, and even better, you can avoid the problem down the road since we’re restoring your body’s powerful resources to the area.
After your treatments, we also provide you with some key lifestyle recommendations, such as exercise and weight loss, which help sustain your great results.
If you’re struggling with sciatica, contact our office in Indianapolis, Indiana, to get on the road to relief through our DRS Protocols.
