Published:
02/18/2017 01:28am
WHAT IS SCIATICA?
Many Singaporeans have been told by doctors they have sciatica, but what does this scary word mean? And is it actually a bad thing?
Sciatica is a general term for pain affecting the back, hip, and the leg. This is usually caused by compression of a spinal nerve root in the lower back. Depending where the person feels the pain it will point to what the cause is. If the pain is in the buttock it will be from interference in one part of the spine, but if the pain is in the toes it will be due to interference in another part of the spine. It is important to find out what the root cause is, rather than just giving a broad label!
Your lower back
How does sciatica start?
In our everyday lives we have lots of stresses, both internal and external. External stress include issues from birth, trauma (such as accidents or falls), poor posture and too much heavy lifting. Lifting with poor posture, such as the spine in a twisted position, can also put more pressure on the spine. Sciatica can also start or be accentuated by internal factors such as stress, depression and negative thoughts.
What can I do to make it better?
To improve the symptoms it’s important to take control of the situation and taking an active part of your health. Initially this means avoiding painful postures. Though these postures cause discomfort they are an intelligent way of your body communicating with you that they are dangerous. Without this pain we would continue to worsen our condition, which could lead to bigger problems. This is a smart way of our body helping us.
The next thing to do is to find out what the cause of the sciatica is and how it can be helped. Giving it a label will not help your symptoms. While it is common that clients take pain medication due to the pain we must understand that this won’t fix the problem. Pain medication, such as Panadol, will cover up the symptoms but won’t deal with the root cause. Pain medication can also be dangerous as it numbs the body allowing more damage to be done.
“Imagine if you couldn’t feel pain in your hand. Every time you entered a kitchen you could end up burning or cutting yourself and not even knowing. Pain is a clever way of your body signalling we need to change something”
How can Chiropractic help?
We work primarily with the spine, the root cause of most cases of sciatica. If there is interference in the spine it can cause pain into the back and down to the legs. The first thing the Chiropractor will do is ascertain where the problem has originated, then explain this to you and let you know how we can help….all without drugs or surgery!
Call today to find out how we can help you express the healthiest version of yourself.
