Sciatic Pain & Spinal Decompression: Does it make a difference?

Picture this: you’re going about your daily life, either waking up in the morning, lying down at the end of a long day, or moving through your daily routine. Suddenly, you’re hit with severe pain that radiates from one or both of your glutes down the back of your leg(s) like a shock of electricity. This all-too-common phenomenon is known as sciatic pain, also commonly referred to as sciatica. Sciatica and sciatic pain can afflict anyone of any age. It most commonly makes an appearance during or after physical activity and is known to flare up after a night’s sleep or lying down. If you’ve been asking, “why do I keep feeling sciatic pain?” or “how do I get rid of sciatic pain?” you’ve come to the right place! Read on to discover how Dr. Mike Digrado helps patients every day to treat their sciatic pain.

Why do I have sciatic pain?

Sciatic pain is known to be caused by inflammation of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is located along the backside of the body, running from the lower back all the way down to the feet. When the nerve is pinched in the lower back, it can create a sharp pain that shoots down one or both glutes and legs.

What inflames the sciatic nerve?

Sciatic pain occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed. Inflammation of the sciatic nerve occurs because something is placing pressure on the nerve. Most commonly, sciatica occurs when you have a herniated disk or spinal misalignment.

What is a herniated disc?

Herniated discs happen when the soft, cushiony part of your spine that is in the center of the spinal canal pushes out through cracks in the hard, bony part of the spinal cord. The cushioned, soft part of the spine is made up of many discs that lay on top of one another, all within the interior of the spine.

Lifting heavy objects, age-related wear-and-tear, being on your feet too often and for too long, as well as accident and injury can result in a herniated disc. Surgery can be required for severe herniations, but is not usually necessary for a moderate herniated disc.

For herniated discs, symptoms range. You may feel numbness and tingling in your limbs, sharp pain in your back, weakness in your muscles, and discomfort when you cough or sneeze.

What is spinal misalignment?

Spinal misalignment occurs when the spine moves out of its normal s-shaped position. The spine moves out of its normal alignment for many reasons and as a result of a variety of lifestyle factors. Spinal misalignment is very common in adolescents and adults. It can be especially common for those who play sports, engage in weight-lifting or other regular physical activity, have sedentary occupations that involve sitting for hours at a time, and anyone who has fallen, been in a car accident, or experienced some other bodily injury.

Spinal misalignment is so common that it’s often overlooked until it begins to cause pain. The effect of gravity and physical movement on the body alone can be enough to move joints out of proper alignment. The spinal curvature is very specific and meant to support the entire structure of the body. When even a single joint moves out of alignment, the entire balance of the body’s structure is thrown off.

When the spine is misaligned, all kinds of symptoms can arise (including sciatic pain). These symptoms can range from digestive dysfunction to vertigo, headaches, migraines, mental fog, back pain, neck pain, and more. Spinal misalignment is one of the leading causes of inflammation in the sciatic nerve, and can lead to sciatica pain.

How can I fix sciatica/sciatic pain?

Treating sciatica/sciatic pain at the root is one of the most effective ways to eliminate the symptoms of sciatica. At Newport Center Family Chiropractic, Dr. Mike Digrado will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine the root cause of a patient’s sciatic pain. Included in this comprehensive evaluation are x-rays, which will display the condition of the spine, as well as where it may be misaligned.

Using x-rays to identify misalignment, Dr. Mike Digrado is able to determine what areas of the spine require treatment in order to be brought back into balance. At Newport Center Family Chiropractic, this means that cold laser therapy, spinal decompression, and a host of other modalities may be employed to help restore your spinal alignment.

Using A Decompression Table / Decompression Therapy

At Newport Center Family Chiropractic, Dr. Mike Digrado provides non-surgical sciatica pain relief, Newport Beach CA being the main population that he serves. The decompression table is one of the primary treatment options that Dr. Digrado offers, as it is both effective and non-invasive. Decompression therapy works by gently creating space between the joints of the body. This is particularly effective on the joints of the spine and knees, which tend to become compacted due to wear and tear, degeneration, injury, and age.

By creating space between the joints, decompression therapy can help increase circulation, decrease inflammation, help to prevent further degeneration, and allow joints to return to proper alignment. The decompression table at Newport Center Family Chiropractic is a painless, comfortable form of treatment that can help alleviate back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, sciatic pain, and other types of discomfort.

Deep Tissue Laser Therapy – Newport Beach

If you’re looking for cold laser therapy, Newport Beach’s premiere Dr. Mike Digrado also offers cold laser/deep tissue laser therapy at Newport Center Family Chiropractic. In addition to decompression therapy, cold laser therapy is a fantastic way to decrease inflammation and support the body’s overall health and healing.

If you or a loved one would benefit from bringing their body back into balance and treating pain at the root once and for all, book your appointment with us today. You can call our office or contact us digitally. Our team is excited to help you kick off your health and wellness journey and create a strategy just for you. Call us today to book your first appointment!