Spinal Decompression – New Hope for Sciatica!


Spinal Decompression – A new hope? Sometimes lower back pain occurs only in the area of your belt line. At other times it can radiate pain down a leg. This distinction is important as the former, lower back pain only, is often less complicated and carries a more favorable outlook for complete recovery. In fact, when we examine new patients a large part the checkup is focused on this differentiation.  When the lower back pain is not isolated but rather spreads pain down to the legs there is a serious possibility that the sufferer has Sciatica. This blog post will focus on the different types of leg pain that can occur with different low back pain conditions.

We’ve all heard of the word “sciatica” which is usually used loosely to describe various types of lower back pain. Sciatica is often used to refer to everything from low back pain coming from the joints in the back, to the sacroiliac (sit bones) joint, to the muscles of the low back, to a nerve that has been pinched by a ruptured disk. Strictly speaking, the term “sciatica” should only be used when the sciatic nerve is pinched. The sciatic nerve is made up of five smaller nerves that arise from the spine and join together to form one large nerve about the size of your pinky. Sciatica occurs when any one of the small nerves, or the sciatic nerve itself, gets compressed or irritated. This is often caused from a lumbar disk bulge (the “ruptured disk”), a mis-positioned vertebra (such as a forward slip of the vertebra called “spondylolisthesis”), pressure from an arthritic spur off the spine where the nerve exits (“spinal stenosis”), or a tumor near the nerve. A non-disk related cause for sciatica called “pseudosciatica,” includes a pinch from the piriformis muscle where the nerve passes through the pelvis in the buttocks. This type of sciatica has been commonly referred to as “wallet sciatica” as sitting on the wallet in the back pocket is often the cause. Other “pseudosciatic” causes include referred pain from the low back joints which is described by a patient as a “deep ache” inside the leg, or a metabolic condition where the nerve is affected such as diabetes.  Direct trauma like a bruise to the buttocks from falling or the nerve being hit during an injection into the buttocks can also trigger “sciatica.”
The symptoms of sciatica include pain in the low back, buttocks, back of the thigh, calf and/or foot and/or numbness-tingling. If the nerve is compressed hard enough, muscle weakness can occur making it hard to stand up on the tip toes. This can even create a limp when walking. In our office, we perform diagnostic tests to identify nerve damage, bulging disk(s) and other lower back problems. It’s important to determine the root cause of lower back pain rather than automatically assuming that a patient has sciatica.
The good news is that chiropractic methods can resolve this problem frequently, thus avoiding a potential surgical procedure! So, check with Eastside Chiropractic before a surgical consultation. We realize you have a choice of healthcare providers. If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward to serving you and your family presently and in the future.
Photo Credit: Ryan Weisgerber via Compfight

Spinal Decompression – New Hope for Back Pain and Sciatica?

Spinal decompression therapy has been the subject of many news articles and radio commercials, but does it really work?

Your First Choice Should Be Conservative Care

When back pain with sciatica (leg pain) strikes, the question many people ask is, “do I need back surgery?” The alternative to conservative care is surgery, so let’s talk about what constitutes a back pain or sciatica (leg pain) that rises to the level of requiring surgical intervention. According to Rene Cailliet, MD, the father of modern Physical Medicine, the indications for back surgery are:

  1. PERSISTENT bladder and bowel dysfunction (loss of continence) of a neurogenic type.
  2. An increase in objective neurological functional loss, such as progressive weakness, increasing numbness, or increasing pain, IN SPITE OF ADEQUATE, SUPERVISED, AND PROLONGED conservative treatment.
  3. The patient is unwilling to endure the discomfort or to submit to further conservative treatment, owing to a lowering of pain threshold, psychologic decompensation, financial reasons, or pressures beyond the control of the doctor. When, however, there is no bladder or bowel involvement and no progression of neurologic deficit, great care must be exercised in allowing the patient to press for surgery.

So, the main take away for us should be that conservative care should be the first choice for back pain and sciatic pain, and surgery should only be considered essentially when all else fails.

What Is Spinal Decompression Therapy?

Spinal decompression therapy is a non-surgical traction based treatment alternative for herniated or bulging discs in the neck and lower back. Anyone who has back, neck, arm or leg pain may be helped by spinal decompression therapy.

How Many Spinal Decompression Therapy Sessions Are Needed?

Your doctor will always determine the number of sessions needed and your specific treatment plan after your examination. In almost all cases, the treatments are completely painless.

What Makes Spinal Decompression Therapy So Effective?

Proper assessment, correct positioning and the use of preprogrammed patterns of traction and relaxation may reduce disc pressure allowing necessary nutrients to accelerate disc healing.

Are There Medical Studies Which Document the Effectiveness of Spinal Decompression Therapy?

Yes! One study documented by MRI up to 90% reduction of disc herniations in 10 of 14 cases and other studies reported that the majority of herniated disc patients achieved “good” to “excellent” results after spinal decompression therapy. Contact us if you would like to receive copies of these and other studies.
If you would like a free consultation at our office in Greenville SC please call us at 864-292-6777. During the consultation we will determine how chiropractic care may be able to help you with your health concerns.
Copyright: jaimages / 123RF Stock Photo