Sciatica Chiropractor

Sciatica Chiropractor: A Simple Adjustment Can Change Everything

Sciatica Chiropractor

If you’ve ever experienced sciatica, you know it can be more than just a pain in the back. That sharp, shooting pain down your leg can disrupt your daily life. Even the simplest tasks feel impossible. Nearly 40% of us will experience this pain in our lifetimes.

For some, it becomes a severe and progressively worsening condition that steals our enjoyment for life. But can a sciatica chiropractor fix sciatica? The short answer is yes, and here’s why.

What Is Sciatica?

Sciatica neuropathy isn’t just one condition—it’s a symptom of an underlying issue. Typically, this nerve pain is caused by a pinched nerve in the lower back.

The pain radiates along the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back through your hips and down each leg. Sciatica can also cause numbness, tingling, sudden jutting pain, or weakness in the back, hip, and down into the leg. You may or may not even feel it in your back!

This pinched nerve can result from:

  • Herniated disc / bulging disc
  • Muscle inflammation or spasm
  • Piriformis Syndrome (dysfunction of your hip rotation muscle), more common in those who turn their feet out.
  • Bone spur
  • Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal column)
  • Among other causes.
Sciatica Relief

How Do Chiropractors Treat Sciatica?

Chiropractors are experts in musculoskeletal health. This makes us well-suited to treat sciatica. At the end of the day, a pinched nerve is a mechanical problem. Something is putting excessive physical pressure on the sciatic nerve. That something is usually happening in the spinal column, and sometimes the hip.

Don’t Send an AI Engineer to Do a Mechanics Job

Because sciatica is most often due to body mechanics, it doesn’t make sense to approach this with a chemical treatment (medication)—at least not as a long-term solution. That’s like trying to fix a flat tire by engineering some advanced AI-powered software. It’s over-complicating a problem that—more often than not—has a simple solution… and creating more problems (side effects) than it fixes.

So, what can a chiropractor do for sciatica pain?

  • Step 1. Free the trapped nerve.
  • Step 2: Help the nerve heal from months or years of entrapment.
  • Step 3. Make sure it doesn’t get trapped again.
Nerve pain relief

What to Expect During Sciatica Treatment?

When you visit a chiropractor for sciatica, we’ll start with a thorough assessment to determine the root cause of your pain. This might involve a physical exam, medical history review, and sometimes imaging tests like X-rays or MRIs.

Once the cause of your sciatica is identified, the chiropractor will develop a personalized treatment plan. Here are some common techniques we might use:

Spinal Adjustments & Manual Therapy

Your personal chiropractor will use controlled force to adjust your spine, aiming to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve and carefully move the vertebrae back into alignment. This can reduce pain and improve your mobility—often instantly.

Exercise Program

Your Truspine chiropractor might recommend specific core, hip, and leg exercises to strengthen the muscles supporting your spine, improving your posture and preventing future flare-ups. We take time to show you how to perform these exercises to support spinal health because we want to see you get long-term sciatica relief.

If you do have a desk job, we’re definitely going to recommend you not sit so damn much. It only makes it worse!

Here are 5 sciatica exercises we might recommend.

Lifting and Form Instruction

Proper lifting techniques and body mechanics are crucial in preventing sciatica from recurring. Your chiropractor will guide you on the best practices for lifting and maintaining good posture at work and play, reducing strain on your back and promoting greater range of motion. If you perform repetitive actions at work or play certain sports, speak with your chiropractor about it.

We can personalize your treatment plan around your lifestyle and unique needs.

Nutrition Therapy

Even though the nerve is now free, months or years of entrapment have damaged the nerve, and it will need time to heal. A well-balanced diet can play a key role in your recovery and overall nerve health. Your chiropractor may offer nutrition or supplementation advice to help reduce inflammation and support the healing process. Ensuring your body gets the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and pain-free is part of what we do as chiropractors.

Stop masking pain with medication. Chiropractors get to the root cause! Go ahead and schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Ongoing Adjustments

Once the pain stops, it’s so easy to say “goodbye to your chiropractor. Thanks for helping me live pain-free.” But the truth is that like anything in life, adjustments are necessary to maintain your pain-free existence and support overall health. The mechanics that caused the sciatica in the first place are still there.

Regular chiropractic adjustments can help maintain spinal alignment, preventing the recurrence of sciatica. These ongoing adjustments are tailored to your specific needs and are designed to keep your spine healthy, reduce the risk of future flare-ups, and support your overall well-being.

Your chiropractor will work with you to determine the optimal frequency for these adjustments, ensuring long-term relief and mobility. We encourage you to make visiting your chiropractor a new healthy habit!

More reading:

Will a Chiropractor Help Sciatica? The Benefits Explained

Chiropractic care is non-invasive and drug-free, focusing on addressing the root cause of your pain rather than just masking the symptoms.

Here’s what you can expect from chiropractic treatment:

  • Pain Relief: Spinal adjustments can relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve, providing immediate and long-lasting pain relief. Many of our patients have been suffering from sciatica for years. Many are surprised that after just one to three adjustments, they’re no longer in pain.
  • Improved Mobility: By realigning your spine, chiropractic care can help restore your range of motion, making it easier to move without pain.
  • Prevention: Regular chiropractic care combined with nutrition and core strengthening exercises can help prevent future episodes of sciatica by keeping your spine and muscles in optimal condition.

What kind of nerve pain do you have? take the quiz.

How Many Visits to Chiropractor to Help Sciatica?

The timeline for recovery varies depending on the severity of your sciatica and how long you’ve been experiencing symptoms. Some people notice improvement after just a few sessions and may be able to shift into maintenance. Others might require several weeks of 2-3 times a week treatments before proceeding to less frequent visits. Your chiropractor will monitor your progress and adjust your treatment plan as needed to ensure you get the best results.

Should I Go to a Chiropractor for Sciatica?

If you’re dealing with sciatica, chiropractic care is worth considering. But we’re chiropractors, so of course, we’re going to say that. Hear me out!

Would you prefer a natural, non-invasive approach to pain relief? The non-invasive chiropractic care may appeal to you.

Do you like the idea of treating the root cause rather than the symptoms? Chiropractic care may be a good option.

If you’re currently experiencing side effects from medications prescribed by your treating doctor, we’ll work with them to help you reduce your dose as your pain becomes more manageable with drug-free means.

Remember, we perform a thorough assessment with imaging if necessary. If we determine you’re one of the few who is unlikely to benefit from sciatica chiropractic adjustments, we’ll send your records and what we found to your primary doctor or another specialist. We work with the medical community as part of an integrative medicine approach.

The Science Behind Chiropractic Care for Sciatica

  • A randomized controlled trial compared real evidence-based chiropractic adjustments for sciatica with disc herniation causing leg pain to what they called “sham chiropracty”, which was basically someone randomly popping the control group participants’ backs. 28% of the real chiropractic group experienced complete elimination of pain compared to 6% in the placebo group. 55% of the chiropractor group no longer experienced the radiating pain associated with sciatica, even if they were not 100% pain-free. Most with sciatica will probably agree, the sharp, sudden radiating pain is the worst part of sciatica. It stops you in your tracks!
  • Several systematic reviews agree that most patients have at least modest improvement in sciatic nerve-related back pain.
  • Another observational cohort study including nearly 3000 participants, found that radiating-sciatica pain patients receiving chiropractic care experience better long-term outcomes vs. conventional medical care. Patients experienced moderate to significant reductions in pain.

The Bottom Line: Can a Chiropractor Fix Sciatica?

Sciatica can be debilitating, but it doesn’t have to control your life. A chiropractor can not only help relieve your current pain but also address the underlying causes to prevent future issues. If you’re tired of living with sciatica, it might be time to see how chiropractic care can help you get back to doing the things you love—pain-free.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Nerve Pain Relief

Nerve Pain Relief: Natural Treatments that Actually Work

Nerve pain relief

Nerve pain can be debilitating, affecting every aspect of your life. Whether you suffer from sciatic nerve pain, back pain, shoulder nerve pain, or peripheral neuropathy, finding effective nerve pain relief is crucial.

As a chiropractor specializing in functional health, I have worked with a lot of patients struggling with this problem. Often, they feel hopeless, having tried everything by the time they come to see me. My hope is get the word out that natural nerve pain relief is possible for many —without surgery or potentially-dangerous medications.

What Causes Nerves to hurt?

You may experience nerve damage as a tingling, burning, shooting, stabbing, or a host of related nerve pain symptoms. For a long time, it was believed —particularly in Western Medicine—that there wasn’t much you could do about it. You could only manage the symptoms and hope it didn’t get worse.

You may have been told there’s no cure. But when we address the root cause, the nerve can start healing itself.

So what may be causing your discomfort? And is it treatable using natural means?

Injuries

Injuries such as falls, accidents, or sports-related impacts can crush or trap the nerves.

sports injuries

Diabetes

High blood sugar levels in diabetics can damage nerves, particularly in the feet, necessitating diabetic foot nerve pain relief. You will still need diabetic care and lifestyle management, but we can help with the neuropathy—especially in its early stages.

Herniated Discs

A herniated disc can press on nerves in the spine, causing pain. Overuse, lack of physical activity, “too heavy” lifting, or injury can cause the disc to rupture or slip, allowing the bones to move out of line.

The vertabral column protects the large central nervous system nerves and the peripheral nerves travel out from this centralized location. This misalignment allows nerves to become trapped.

Sometimes this slipped disc happens in the neck, which causes a pain behind the shoulder blade—and sometimes down the arm. If the herniated disc happens in the lower back, you may experience low back pain, hip pain, pain in the back of your thigh or all of the above. Some people even need sciatic nerve pain in buttocks which makes it hard to sit, stand, and walk without pain stopping them in their tracks.

We can reduce the point of stress trapping the nerve by realigning the spinal column through an adjustment.

Autoimmune Diseases

Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus can cause the immune system to attack the nerves, leading to chronic nerve pain. An autoimmune condition is not a life sentence of pain. Often nutrition and lifestyle can reduce the damage these diseases cause to bones, joints, myelin sheaths (nerve protectors), etc.

Repetitive Stress

Repetitive motions or prolonged pressure on certain body parts can lead to nerve compression and pain. For example, a repetitive factory, retail, warehouse, or desk job could lead to ulnar nerve pain (in the arm, elbow, and wrist).

Poor Posture

Poor posture can contribute to nerve compression, particularly in the neck and back, necessitating ergonomic adjustments and targeted exercises for nerve pain relief.

Everyone has poor posture sometimes. I’m talking about more than just slouching sometimes. It has more to do with how long you stay in that position. People who sit for four hours or more without getting up and moving around much may develop misalignments that lead to trapped nerves.

Those who stand more aren’t off the hook though! Some people stand for long periods or walk while either sticking their belly out or using an anterior pelvic tilt. In the latter, you have an excessive inward arch in the lower back and push your butt out. This is not a natural or healthy position.

What kind of nerve pain do you have? take the quiz.

Sleeping Position

Sleeping weird can also cause nerve problems.

sleeping position

Bad Exercise Form

Bad posture also happens when your lifting weights and exercising. You might lift something heavy from the side instead of the front. You could lift too heavy or not properly warm-up.

Vitamin Deficiencies

Vitamin deficiencies can significantly contribute to nerve pain, impacting your overall health. Essential vitamins like B12, B6, and E are crucial for maintaining nerve health. A lack of these nutrients can lead to nerve damage pain relief needs.

Even if we address the cause of the pain by freeing the trapped nerve, it’s vital to focus on nutrition to support nerve healing.

Find out what your nerve pain symptoms are telling you.

Managing Neuropathic Pain

Addressing the underlying causes is essential for freeing you from this experience. Treatments like chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, home exercise programs, and proper nutrition can provide significant natural nerve pain relief.

You can take proactive steps to manage and alleviate your symptoms, ensuring a better quality of life.

Stop nerve pain

Chiropractic Adjustments for Nerve Pain

One of the most effective methods for supporting nerve health is chiropractic adjustments. These adjustments help realign the spine, reducing pressure on nerves and providing freedom from the discomfort and misery of neuropathy. This approach is particularly beneficial for those seeking all natural nerve pain relief without the side effects of medication.

To get to the root cause of neuropathy, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Home Exercise Programs

Incorporating a customized home exercise program can significantly enhance your pain relief regimen. For example, targeted exercises can alleviate pain relief for lower back.

Regular physical activity promotes healing and prevents further neurological damage, offering relief for lower back nerve pain and nerve pain in leg relief.

Exercise—especially those for the core (not just sit-ups)— also strengthen the muscles that support the spine. This can naturally improve posture, even when you’re not thinking about it and protect the spine form further injury.

In fact, I shouldn’t be telling you this, but regular home exercise helps you maintain alignment longer after an adjustment. You need neuropathy treatments less often because you’re doing good things for your body at home.

Even after an adjustment, if you don’t make some changes the nerve will just get trapped again. In the beginning, I usually recommend a spinal adjustment twice a week. This frequency helps you train your spine back into alignment as you strengthen your muscles to maintain that alignment longer.

Our chiropractors take time to show you proper form and posture and we help you develop a home exercise program to maintain your results.

Acupuncture and Dry Needling

Acupuncture and dry needling are also excellent methods for natural pain therapy. Acupuncture is an ancient practice involves inserting fine needles into specific points on the body to stimulate healing and reduce pain. Acupuncture can be particularly effective for sciatic nerve pain relief and neuropathy relief, offering a holistic approach to managing this condition.

Dry needling involves using fine needles strategically on trigger points to release stiff muscles that may contribute to nerve entrapment.

Nutrition Support

As I mentioned, proper nutrition plays a vital role in nerve pain relief. A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods and those containing B vitamins can help reduce nerve pain and support overall health. I encourage you to focus on getting these nutrients from food first. But we can also discuss supplementation if you’re struggling with your nutrition. For those with diabetes, nutrition support is also crucial for diabetic foot nerve pain relief. We will work with your endocrinologist and/or registered dietician to support your nutritional goals.

Essential Oils and Home Remedies

For those who prefer an essential oil nerve pain relief recipe, know that essential oils like lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus have natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that provide natural relief for nerve pain. But remember, these only help the symptoms for a short time. Your neuropathy will get worse if you delay treating the cause. You can explore some of the more severe symptoms and outcomes on untreated neuropathy here.

Medications and Over-the-Counter Solutions

While our focus is on natural therapies, we understand that sometimes medication is necessary. We can guide you on the best OTC pain relief for nerve pain and nerve pain relief medication that can be used in conjunction with our holistic treatments for optimal recovery. Again, medication is short-term relief. You need to long-term solutions to stop the misery for good.

Specialized Treatments for Specific Conditions

We also offer targeted treatments for specific nerve pain conditions. For instance, if you struggle with ulnar nerve pain relief or burning nerves in neck for pain relief, we can develop a personalized plan to address your unique needs. We also provide solutions for relief from nerve pain in neck, nerve pain in feet relief, and sciatic nerve pain relief at night.

At-Home Solutions and Continuous Support for Nerve Pain Relief

We believe in empowering our patients with the knowledge and tools needed for relief from nerve pain at home. Our comprehensive approach ensures you receive continuous support and guidance, helping you manage and alleviate nerve pain effectively.

Our functional approach  integrates chiropractic adjustments, home exercise, acupuncture, and nutrition to support to provide effective and sustainable freedom for debiliating discomfort. Whether you seek sciatic nerve pain relief or natural relief for nerve pain, our customized treatments aim to enhance your quality of life naturally and effectively. To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions about Neuropathy

What is the Best Pain Relief for Nerve Pain?

The best pain relief for nerve pain often includes a combination of treatments such as chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, home exercise programs, and nutrition support. Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or specific nerve pain relief medication can also be effective.

How to Get Relief from Sciatic Nerve Pain?

For relief from sciatic nerve pain, try chiropractic adjustments, targeted exercises, and stretching. Acupuncture and proper posture can also help. For immediate relief, over-the-counter pain relievers may be useful.

What Drugs Provide Immediate Relief from Nerve Pain?

Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen can provide immediate improvements. For more severe pain, prescription medications such as gabapentin or pregabalin might be necessary.

What is the Best Pain Relief for Nerve Damage?

This is best achieved through a combination of treatments, including chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture, and doctor-perscribed medications like gabapentin or amitriptyline, if needed. Our goal is to address the root cause so that you can avoid or reduce medications with guidance from the prescribing physician.

How to Get Relief from Nerve Pain in Neck?

To get relief from nerve pain in neck, try chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, and neck exercises. Applying heat or cold packs and practicing good posture can also help.

Does Acupuncture Relieve Nerve Pain?

Yes, acupuncture can effectively relieve neuropathy by stimulating the body’s natural painkillers and promoting blood flow to the affected areas. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients which can promote healing.

How to Get Pain Relief from Pinched Nerve in Neck?

For pain relief from a pinched nerve in the neck, chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, and gentle neck stretches are effective. Over-the-counter pain relievers and applying ice or heat can provide immediate relief.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

nerve pain back

Nerve Pain in the Back: Your Path to a Pain-Free Life

Nerve pain in the back can be debilitating—stealing your joy and making living active and well nearly impossible. Even simple tasks become challenging.

As a chiropractor, I often see patients struggling with various types of back pain, and I can say that nerve-related issues are some of the worst kinds of pain to have. But I have some hopeful news for you today. Many causes can be treated without surgery or potentially dangerous medications.

What is Nerve Pain in the Back?

Nerve pain, or neuropathic pain, occurs when nerves are damaged or irritated. In this case, the nerves in question are in the spine. Many people are surprised to learn this since they feel this pain on the left or right side, not the spine.

But that’s because these large nerves radiate the sensation out from the center and down the body.

As a chiropractor, I can deduce where the nerve irritation is occurring in the spine based on the location of the nerve pain symptoms—from behind your shoulder down to the back of your thigh.

I’m able to do this because the nerves that begin in your spinal column take a specific path through the human body—carrying the pain with them.

Symptoms of Nerve Pain in the Back

You might experience nerve pain of the back as:

  • Burning
  • Sharp
  • Dull persistent ache
  • Tingling
  • Numbness
  • Radiating
  • Muscle weakness

It’s usually only on one side and often comes and goes as you change positions.

For example, you might feel a sudden sharp pain in the mid-back. It catches you off guard, takes your breath away, and forces you to recoil from whatever you were doing.

A moment later, it passes. But now you’re afraid to move because it hurts. That’s no way to live!

And sadly, this lack of movement makes it worse over time.

The constant worry about the pain may also impact your mental health and sense of well-being. And in severe cases, the pain is so bad it physically keeps you from moving. You may not be able to sit, bend, or stand up straight.

You may also want to check out Peripheral Nerve Pain Symptoms: Your Body’s Alarm System.

What Causes Nerve Pain Back?

Common causes of back nerve pain include herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and pinching or tightness of the sciatic nerve.

In each of these, a nerve is trapped between the spinal discs. When this happens, the bone is allowed to rub/squeeze the nerve.

Herniated (ruptured) discs can happen anywhere along the spine. Discs are cushions between each back bone to protect your spinal nerves and the bones from damage. But these discs can become compressed like a water balloon in your hand. This allows the bones to get too close to each other, leading to structural issues. If that disc is squeezed hard enough, it bursts. It’s not quite as dramatic a burst as a water balloon. But it does slowly leak an irritating fluid onto the nerve.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal column. It often happens in the neck, leading to nerve pain behind the shoulder as well as upper back nerve pain.

When the lower spinal column (the lumbar spine) narrows, it puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, leading to Sciatica. The sciatic nerve nerve runs from the lower back, down each hip and into the back of your thigh. So, you may feel the pain in one or all three places.

An estimated 40% of people will experience sciatic nerve pain in the lower back during their lifetime.

If one of these three causes contributes to your nerve pain, you don’t have to just live with it. This is a mechanical problem in the back.

When the structural issue is correctable with an adjustment, I can release the nerve and allow the nerve to heal. With proper care and a periodic adjustment you can maintain the pain relief long-term.

It’s essential to seek professional help to determine whether a spinal adjustment could help your nerve pain in the back.

To find out, Schedule your initial consultation for a full evaluation and first treatment. 

Diagnosis

To diagnose nerve pain in the back, a thorough medical history and physical examination are necessary. Diagnostic tests like MRI, CT scans, and X-rays can help pinpoint precisely where the nerve is trapped.

But chiropractors also train for years. As part of our education, we learn how to feel the irregularities in the spine before correcting them.

Treatment Options

Depending on the cause and severity, you may need a combination of therapies or treatments. Your chiropractor can work with your medical professional team to help you get the best results.

Non-Surgical Treatments

  • Medications: Over-the-counter pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, and prescription medications can help manage the pain.
  • Home Exercise Program: Strengthening and stretching exercises can alleviate pain and improve mobility. Your chiropractor will show you how to perform exercises to strengthen the supporting muscloskelatal system and support nerve health.
  • Chiropractic Care: Regular adjustments can relieve nerve pain in the back and improve spinal alignment.
  • Acupuncture: This ancient practice can provide short-term relief for many patients, giving the nerve time to heal.
  • Lifestyle Changes: Maintaining a healthy weight and staying active can significantly reduce back pain. If you have a desk job that keeps you sedentary, we can work with you on strategies to support more movement throughout the day.

Surgical Treatments

While not the first choice for most patients, surgical options are available through an orthopaedist. We can work with your doctor to attempt less invasive treatment before you decide to go under the knife. We also become an important part of your post-surgical rehabilitation and pain-free maintenance plan.

Some surgeries your doctor might consider include:

  • Discectomy: Removing the disc’s herniated part can relieve nerve pressure.
  • Laminectomy: Removing part of the vertebra can relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.
  • Spinal Fusion: This surgery joins two or more vertebrae together to provide stability.

Pain Management Strategies

Managing nerve pain in the back involves both at-home and professional strategies.

At-Home Pain Relief Methods

  • Heat and Ice Therapy: Alternating between heat and ice can reduce inflammation and pain.
  • Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers: These can help manage mild to moderate pain.
  • Gentle Stretching and Exercise: Regular movement can keep your back flexible and reduce pain.

Professional Pain Management Techniques

  • Epidural Steroid Injections: These can reduce inflammation around the nerves.
  • Nerve Blocks: Injecting anesthetics near the nerves can provide temporary relief.
  • Radiofrequency Ablation: Burning the nerves to relieve back pain can provide long-term relief.
  • Acupuncture: Increases blood flow and can encourage the activation of your body’s natural painkillers and healing processes.

Preventing Nerve Pain

Prevention is better than cure. Whether you’ve recently recovered from back nerve pain or you’re trying to reverse the pain before it gets worse, here are some tips to keep your back healthy and pain-free.

Ergonomic Tips for Daily Activities

  • Proper Lifting Techniques: Lift with your legs, not your back. To learn more, check out our article on lifting form.
  • Correct Posture: Maintain a neutral spine while sitting and standing.
  • Ergonomic Office Setups: Ensure your workstation supports good posture, ideally with a sit and stand option.

We take time to show patients what proper form looks like and help them achieve it. Our goal is to see patients live pain-free through comprehensive pain management strategies.

Regular Exercise and Stretching

  • Strengthening Exercises: Focus on your core and back muscles.
  • Flexibility Exercises: Stretching can prevent tightness and pain.
  • Walking: If you are able, walking more around the house, neighborhood, or office can promote better posture. You engage multiple core muscles with this one action, which can alleviate pressure on the spinal discs.
  • Balance: Exercise methodologies, such as those found in yoga and Pilates, promote balance and stability.

Learn about the top 5 stretches for sciatica and how to do them step-by-step.

Healthy Lifestyle Habits

  • Balanced Diet: Proper nutrition supports overall health. Of course, a balanced diet is important, but some nutrients have moderate to strong evidence and are worth a try. On the whole food side, these include dark leafy greens and green vegetables, berries, sweet potatoes, turmeric, avocado, and quinoa. These foods provide key nutrients like B vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and known anti-inflammatory compounds.
  • Adequate Sleep: Good sleep is essential for recovery and pain management. Adjust your pillows and positions to ensure your sleeping style doesn’t inadvertently cause structural issues.
  • Stress Management: Techniques like mindfulness and meditation can reduce stress and pain.

Living with Nerve Pain

Coping with chronic pain requires a multi-faceted approach.

  • Mindfulness and Meditation: These can help manage pain and improve mental well-being.
  • Support Groups and Counseling: Connecting with others who understand your pain can provide emotional support.
  • Pain Management Programs: Professional programs can offer comprehensive pain management plans.
  • Functional Medicine / Integrative Care: A chiropractor is an important part of your functional medicine team since we offer less invasive and effective treatments for back pain.
  • Medical Care: If less invasive treatments do not provide sufficient relief, medical doctors can prescribe medications and surgical treatment.

Exercises for Sciatic Nerve Back Pain

Exercises play a crucial role in managing sciatic nerve pain in the back. Here are some effective exercises:

  • Piriformis Stretch: This can relieve back nerve pain down the leg.
  • Hamstring Stretch: Keeping your hamstrings flexible can reduce lower back pain.
  • Pelvic Tilts: These strengthen your core and lower back muscles and help with sciatic nerve pain in the back

You Can Live Pain-Free

Nerve pain in the back can be managed effectively with the right approach. From professional treatments to at-home care, there are many ways to find relief. Remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and seeking professional help when needed are crucial steps in managing and preventing back pain. To learn how to live without pain, schedule your initial consultation for a full evaluation and first treatment. 

Treatment For Neuropathy In Legs and Feet

Home » neuropathy

For most people seeking treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet, they describe their symptoms as prickling or tingling, numbness, burning pain, a sharp throbbing, and difficulty sleeping. Additionally, you also may lose muscle strength, experience a loss of balance, or have difficulty walking. These are the words that my patients often use to describe the pain they are experiencing that is caused by peripheral neuropathy.

The majority of people needing treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet have a metabolic, mechanical, and/or hereditary condition. The common cause for people requiring treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet are metabolic or chemical factors. These most commonly include medications, chemo/radiation, diabetes, toxic chemicals, and excessive alcohol.

Additional reading: Nerve Pain: Your Body’s Alarm System

foot pins and needles - treatment of neuropathy

What Causes My Neuropathy?

Diabetes is by far the most common type of metabolic condition creating peripheral nerve damage. Prolonged elevated blood glucose can cause damage to the small blood vessels which provide nourishment to the nerves. Approximately 70% of people with diabetic conditions will need treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet.

As a patient exploring treatment for neuropathy in the legs and feet, you may have a mechanical cause of nerve damage. A more prevalent cause of peripheral neuropathy results from mechanical conditions of the spine and extremities. These mechanical conditions may result in compression or entrapment of the peripheral nerve. This can result from a spinal disc herniation, protrusion, bulge, degenerative disc disease, stenosis, and/or nerve compression or entrapment. Physical compressions or entrapments decrease the oxygen and nutrition to the nerves. Some neuropathy sufferers commonly develop sensory loss symptoms-sharp, burning pain, numb, tingling, pins & needles and/or loss of motor function-as the nerves are compromised.

Some of those affected may seek neuropathy treatment for feet due to hereditary conditions. While it is less common, some may have genetic predisposition for developing nerve damage. Most of these conditions are uncommon and affect an estimated 1-3% of the population. Charcot Marie Tooth is typically the most common forms of hereditary conditions in patients seeking treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet.

Want to learn more about this topic? We think you’ll find these resources useful.

Diseases Causing Tingling in One Foot

Tingling in one foot may be due to a specific, underlying disease or disorder that causes nerve damage including:

  • Diabetic Neuropathy
  • Alcoholic Neuropathy
  • Guillain-Barre syndrome (autoimmune nerve disorder)
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD, also called peripheral vascular disease, or PVD, which is a narrowing or blockage of arteries due to a buildup of fat and cholesterol on the artery walls, which limits blood flow to the extremities)
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Shingles
  • Vitamin deficiency, especially thiamine, vitamin B12 and folate
  • Hypothyroidism

Learn more about neuropathy that affects other parts of the body and how to treat it.

5 Treatments for Foot Neuropathy

  1. Eating Healthy Foods—Eating fruits and vegetables and other foods rich in B vitamins will help nerves to talk to each other better. If you have diabetes, managing blood glucose levels with medication and by eating a proper diet is essential.
  2. Supplements For Neuropathy—Your nerves require minerals like magnesium and calcium for proper functioning. I like to think of supplements as an insurance policy. If you do not get enough from your diet, the extra vitamins and minerals are there as a back up.
  3. Medications For Neuropathy—There are common prescription medications for neuropathy. These neuropathy medications may alleviate some of your symptoms.
  4. Medical Laser Therapy—This non-invasive therapy is cutting-edge technology in neuropathy pain treatment. Deep tissue laser therapy helps repair the damaged cell by increasing stimulation and decreasing inflammation. The nerve now has the ability to repair and regrow
  5. Neuropathy Surgery—In more severe situations, surgery may be necessary to release swollen and compressed nerves.

Learn more about how acupuncture offers natural relief and solutions for neuropathy discomfort.

If you’ve experienced symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, you know just how challenging living a healthy lifestyle can be. You may have experienced physicians telling you that prescriptions, injections, and surgery are the only options to manage your symptoms of neuropathy. I’m here to tell you that’s simply not true. Here’s what I believe… Natural healing beats quick fixes; Finding solutions beat masking symptoms. If you are looking for neuropathy relief, taking your life back starts at our clinic.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Chiropractic Care for Neuropathy in San Francisco

Is Neuropathy Curable?

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“Is neuropathy curable?” That’s the leading question from my neuropathy patients. You’re not alone. At least 20 million Americans have this often crippling condition, and scientists believe many more cases go undiagnosed. It’s important to see specialists who are experts at the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral neuropathy. Let me explain more about this condition and whether there’s a cure.

What are Neuropathy Causes?

Although many conditions or injuries can cause peripheral neuropathy, diabetes is the most common since chronically elevated blood sugar levels damage your nerves. Other causes include:

  • Trauma or Intense Injury (e.g., car accident, sports injury)
  • Repetitive Stress Injury
  • Alcoholism
  • Some medications (chemotherapy)
  • Some autoimmune diseases (e.g., Sjogren’s syndrome, Guillain-Barre syndrome)
  • Infections (e.g., HIV, Epstein-Barr, Lyme disease, shingles)
  • Nerve compression or entrapment due to excessive growth (e.g., tumors, cysts)
  • Kidney or liver disease
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Vitamin deficiencies

Sometimes it can be challenging to identify your exact cause of peripheral neuropathy. This is why it is important to have a neuropathy professional do a thorough examination.

Additional reading: Peripheral Nerve Pain: Your Body’s Alarm System

What Are Your Symptoms?

The term peripheral neuropathy describes many types of disorders rather than a single neuropathic disorder due to its varied location and extent of the damage. Everyone experiences the disease in different ways.

For example, depending on which nerves are damaged, you may experience symptoms related to the function of the affected nerves. Some people notice symptoms related to temperature or touch while others have symptoms related to movement or even blood pressure. Symptoms may be felt at hands, feet, or both. The term peripheral neuropathy describes many types of disorders rather than a single neuropathic disorder due to its varied location and extent of the damage. Everyone experiences the disease in different ways. Neuropathy treatment for feet and hand symptoms may be similar.

The most common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include:

  • tingling, numbness, or prickling sensations in the feet or hands. This could feeling could spread up the arms or legs
  • pain that may be sharp, throbbing, or burning
  • high sensitivity to temperature or touch (e.g., pain when the bedding rests on your feet)
  • possibility of failing coordination and muscle weakness
  • feeling like you’re always wearing socks or gloves
  • trouble moving and in severe cases paralysis

Less often neuropathy affects your autonomic nerves and may cause symptoms such as changes in blood pressure or heart rate which may make you dizzy, digestive or urinary problems, heat intolerance or issues with sweating, and weight loss.

Is Neuropathy Curable?

The answer to this question depends on the nature and extent of your nerve damage. That’s why seeing a specialist soon after you exhibit symptoms of neuropathy is essential. Some cases of peripheral neuropathy can be reversed or cured with treatment.

For many people, however, the focus is on preventing further nerve damage from taking place and managing the associated symptoms. At Truspine, our experts evaluate your unique case to customize a treatment plan for optimal results.

In all cases, treatment usually begins by identifying and managing the underlying medical cause when possible. This helps your provider best understand what therapeutic modalities will help control and alleviate your symptoms.

Your primary care provider may prescribe medication to help manage your pain, including topical medications, which contain numbing agents, and oral medications. Your physical therapist may help improve mobility and balance. A neuropathy specialist will be treating the underlying cause through a proven approach.

Lifestyle changes also play a significant role in managing and treating peripheral neuropathy. Eliminating (or limiting) alcohol, making sure your blood sugar stays controlled through a healthy diet and staying physically active to help maintain a healthy body weight are important steps in reversing or managing neuropathy.

Ready to learn more about neuropathy and the treatments that may work for you? To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment. No one should live in pain.

Want to learn more? We think you’ll find these useful.

Neuropathy: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
Treatment For Neuropathy In Legs and Feet
Neuropathy

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