This post is about Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Acupuncture for Sciatica Relief. Symptoms include mid-buttock pain that radiates down the leg, most often unilaterally (one side). You will often experience an abnormal sensation such as numbness or parethesia (pins and needles). You may also have weakness in the leg effected.
If you have Sciatica, acupuncture can provide relief! We’ve got some great information to share below.
What is Sciatica?
Firstly, the sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body. Sciatic nerves originate from several nerves in your lower back. These nerves branch outward from the spine. And then it comes together at each buttock to form the sciatic nerve, which then radiates down each leg.
Secondly, the word “sciatic” is defined as relating to the hip or ischium or to any structure in its vicinity, as the sciatic nerve. The ischium is a paired bone (one on each side) of the pelvis that forms the lower and back part of the hip bone(s).
Thirdly, sciatica is defined as irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve that causes pain in the buttock area with radiation to the lower leg. It is a condition characterized by pain along the course of the sciatic nerve. This is usually a neuritis (inflammation of a nerve). It is generally caused by mechanical compression or irritation of the lumbar and sacral spinal nerve roots.
Fourthly, many cases have a spinal cause, such as disc herniation/bulge causing impingement of L5 or S1 nerve roots. Other common causes include spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease (wear and tear arthritis/osteoarthritis), and spondylolisthesis. There are also other causes of sciatica, which are less common. These include piriformis, trauma, post-operative complications, gynecologic conditions, and herpes zoster (shingles).
Some Causes of Sciatica
This occurs usually between the ages of 30 and 50. This age range is due in part to the fact that the disc’s nucleus pulposus (central, softer jelly like inner part of disc) dehydrates with aging, leaving little to herniate. Low back pain with radiation in the leg(s) which travels below the knee is a symptom. Paresthesia or numbness is more commonly found with disc herniations especially in the foot or ankle area.
You may have had a twisting injury accompanied by immediate leg pain. The leg pain is often more of a concern than the back pain. Moreover, pain is often worse with sitting (due to increased disc pressure) and less with standing or walking. In the past, you may have a history of recurrent episodes of back pain without leg pain.
The 50 year old and above with leg pain is more likely to have sciatica due to stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal). You may have more difficulty with walking or standing. This is because of the compressive effect created by the loading of the posterior (back of) spine where most of the stenosis occurs. Leg pain from spinal stenosis is called neurogenic claudication.
So neurogenic claudication is secondary (due) to spinal stenosis. In other words, neurogenic claudication is usually caused by spinal stenosis in the lumbar spine (lower back). This narrowing of the spinal canal is generally caused by arthritic changes in the lower spine.
Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Acupuncture for Sciatica Relief
Firstly, in the treatment of sciatica, the first option is a conservative approach using conventional medications (CMs) such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, opioid analgesics, and corticosteroids. However, these have provided limited pain relief. Furthermore, these have been often accompanied by adverse effects. These include dizziness, drowsiness, intoxication, allergic reactions, hepatic and gastrointestinal dysfunctions.
Secondly, results of one study showed that acupuncture may be more effective than NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen) in decreasing the patient’s pain level for leg pain/lumbago (low back pain). The study also stated, “Moreover, acupuncture may enhance the effect of medications in leg pain/lumbago relief. To patients with sciatica, acupuncture points appear more effective than nonacupoints”. (1)
Thirdly, a small, randomized clinical trial published in the December 2024 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine has found that acupuncture could offer relief for sciatica. Researchers randomly assigned 216 people (average age 51). All the participants with sciatica caused by a herniated disk got either real acupuncture or a sham procedure. And this lasted for 10 sessions over four weeks. In conclusion, those who received acupuncture reported having less leg pain and better physical function. And this lasted up to a year.
Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Acupuncture for Sciatica Relief
Acupuncture has been used for over 4000 years to treat pain and other health problems safely and effectively. The acupuncture treatment stimulates the imbalanced pathways called meridians. This activates the body’s natural healing abilities. Ultimately, this brings balance back to your body. Acupuncture has a beneficial effect when treating many diseases and painful conditions.
Meiri Chiropractic offers acupuncture for sciatica and many other ailments. Dr. Natalie Meiri is a chiropractic physician, board certified in acupuncture with over 20 years of experience. Call today for your acupuncture treatment for sciatica at 561-253-8984.
References: (1) Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Treating Sciatica: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Zongshi Qin, Xiaoxu Liu, Jiani Wu, Yanbing Zhai, Zhishun Liu PMCID: PMC4631886 PMID: >26576192