If you are suffering from Sciatica, you will know the misery that this problem brings, affecting every area of daily life. You may even be contemplating risky surgery because you have already tried other treatment methods without success.

The good news is that the conservative care provided by Chiropractors is more cost effective than surgery, provides better results for patients in the long-term than other treatments and is completely drug-free - thus avoiding the unwanted, unpleasant side-effects of some prescription medications.

To find out more about how Chiropractic could help resolve your Sciatica problem, call us on 9857 4503 to arrange a consultation today.

What Is Sciatica?

The sciatic nerve is the largest and thickest nerve in the body. It has a branch on each side of the body. These begin as spinal nerve roots in the lower back.

If only one branch is affected, you may experience low back and buttock pain accompanied by pain that radiates down the leg with feelings of weakness, numbness and/or 'pins and needles' on one side only. This type of sciatica, called unilateral sciatica is the most common. Patients who have symptoms on both sides of the body have bilateral sciatica affecting both branches of the sciatic nerve.

What Causes Sciatica?

There are a number of common causes for this painful problem. The vast majority of them are mechanical (not the result of a disease process) and can be safely and effectively treated by your Chiropractor.

For example, in the later stages of pregnancy, the growing baby can cause pressure on the sciatic nerve that causes shooting pains in the leg and lower back. Taking unnecessary medications during pregnancy is something that all mothers-to-be will want to avoid. Chiropractic care offers a safe, gentle but effective, natural alternative.

Other causes include:

• Disc problems, including herniated, bulging or slipped discs
• Arthritis - this degenerative condition can cause bone spurs or 'osteophytes'
• Lumbar joints – misalignments can cause inflammation that irritates the sciatic nerve
• Stenosis of the Lumbar Spine - this is a condition where the nerve canal is already narrowed, often a genetic condition, that means sciatica is much more likely to occur as even slight pressure in the lumbar spine can cause very severe pain.
• Piriformis Syndrome - named after the piriformis muscle located in the buttocks and which runs over the sciatic nerve. Inflammation or injury to this muscle can cause it to press on the sciatic nerve causing pain.

Scientific Studies Prove Chiropractic Works For Sciatica!

There are many reports that can be found online demonstrating the effectiveness of conservative, Chiropractic care for Sciatica - here are two examples:

· A 2006 study by Santilli, Beghi and Finucci, conducted among one hundred people suffering from back pain and sciatica used a randomized double blind trial, dividing the participants in two groups. One group received actual Chiropractic care while the other group received 'simulated' Chiropractic care. The results proved conclusively that participants who received actual Chiropractic manipulation had significantly greater benefits and relief of their symptoms than the 'simulated' treatment group.

· A report in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics on Science Direct.com in October 2010 recommends Chiropractic treatment before considering the option of surgery, stating that treatment from a Chiropractor is as effective - and could make surgery unnecessary. In fact, 60% of patients with Sciatica resulting from a herniated lumbar disc for whom, other methods of medically managing their condition had failed were found to gain the same benefit from Chiropractic spinal manipulation that they would have gained from undergoing surgery.

If the misery of Sciatica is preventing you from enjoying life, don't delay, call the Eastern Chiropractic Centre on 9857 4503 today.