From Dr. Natalie Meiri’s clinical pearl story about West Palm Beach Chiropractic Acupuncture: Relief from Low Back and Toe Pain
This is my clinical pearl story about West Palm Beach Chiropractic Acupuncture: Relief from Low Back and Toe Pain. He was a 65 year old male patient. His chief complaints were low back and toe pain. To be HIPAA compliant, I will call him Frankie instead of his real name.
Frankie’s low back pain had come on 20 years ago. He didn’t know how it started because there was no trauma. It came on insidiously. He was a technician servicing various machinery. Therefore, his job entailed a lot of driving and lifting heavy equipment. Frankie definitely thought a lot of his back problems were job related.
When Frankie first came to see me, he stated the “back problem had become a numbness” in his gluteal (buttock) area. The numbness was new and alarming to him. Moreover, he had “pain in both big toes”. So he had gone to an orthopedist initially. He was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis of his low back and toes. Next, he was prescribed drugs. Finally, he was sent to physical therapy. After some sessions, Frankie’s condition wasn’t improving. And when the orthopedist suggested injections, he decided to turn to another alternative. Frankie had always had success with natural and holistic healing. So that’s when he came to see me.
Frankie’s Examination and Imaging
Upon examination, Frankie tested positive for his back pain condition. His x-rays taken at the orthopedist showed degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) in his lumbar spine and both halluces (big toes). Additionally, Frankie’s diagnosis was sciatica which was the cause of the numbness in the gluteal area. And Frankie’s toes (in extension) were due to a Sand Toe injury.
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. This forms the lower and back part of the hip bone(s).
Thirdly, sciatica is defined as irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. This 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. Furthermore, it is usually a neuritis (inflammation of a nerve). And it generally involves the lumbosacral 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).
Fifthly, in Frankie’s case, his sciatica was due to osteoarthritis.
What is Sand Toe?
“Sand toe”, is an injury to the big toe joint, specifically the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ). It can be caused by repetitive hyperextension of the big toe. For instance, like running and jumping. Symptoms include throbbing pain, swelling, and bruising. In Frankie’s case, it may have also been work related.
Frankie’s Acupuncture Treatments at Meiri Chiropractic
Frankie initially treated with chiropractic care for his low back complaint. Indeed, his low back pain did decrease. However, the numbness wasn’t completely gone. Of course, there was the halluce (big toe) problem. Therefore, I started him on acupuncture treatments.
His Acupuncture treatments consisted of the insertion of very thin metal needles. These were inserted into the skin and underlying tissues. Finally, Frankie’s outcome from the acupuncture was a complete resolution.
How Does Acupuncture Help Sciatica, arthritis and “sand toe”?
Neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School looked at the underlying neuroanatomy of acupuncture. Specifically, that acupuncture activates a nerve signaling pathway. The signaling affects the function of other parts of the body, including organs (and neuromusculoskeletal body parts).
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. Indeed, Acupuncture has a beneficial effect when treating many diseases and painful conditions.
Meiri Chiropractic offers acupuncture for low back pain, osteoarthritis, sciatica, sand toe 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.