Sciatica has anybody ever tried a chiropractic approach for treatment

[TEB]

I’ve had it over years the doc usually tosses muscle relaxer on prescription. And it is back a flare up and I’m thinking of seeing chiropractor instead of meds. Any thoughts experiences would be appreciated thank you.

[redwitch]

1. We bought an inversion table.

It really helps! You can buy one for about $150. We swear by ours, hubby has two herniated discs and the inversion table has brought him enormous relief. A few minutes a day on the thing is all it takes.
A chiropractor would probably help and so would regular massage.
Good luck whatever you decide on. Sciatica is awful.

[TEB]

2. Thank you

[mitch96]

9. "We bought an inversion table."

I have one too and will never give it up. It's basically traction. The hole that the sciatica nerve comes out of get's pinched. When inverted the hole opens up and allows the nerve to relax and reduce the inflammation. As a PT told me years ago, it's a big circle that has to be broken. Injury, pain and then inflammation that causes more pain. Muscle relaxers let you, well relax so the back is not in spasm. The reduced spasm will reduce the inflammation which reduce the pain., you have to stop the cause of the pain... I've had back problems all my life. First having scoliosis from a car accident when a child and dragging beached whale patients across x ray tables for 40 something years.
For me I use ice when first sign of injury to dull the pain. Drugs if necessary to reduce the inflammation. Then inversion to use as traction to separate the bones away from the nerve. Then moist heat in the evening for healing. I also have been doing yoga/stretching exercises for years which helps a lot (I'm 70).. I try to avoid drugs and doctors. Is it perfect? No but it works for me. I have back flair-ups about 2x per year. I keep forgetting I no longer have a big "S" on my chest and go over board with physical projects..
YMMV Works for me..
m

[pansypoo53219]

3. i got nothhing from ER. not even an xray. went to chiro. she did xray. i had displaced my loer spine

lower spine. took a while, but the bigger issue was i had scoliosis and she fixed that too, even tho posture + my HS backpack, my 1 curve turned into 2 curves & then 3 smaller curves, i was already getting straighter.
and i did NOT get taller. : (
mine had extra back training.
i say go for it . g5 + the stabilizer are great. and the electric pulse thing at the beginning if you get that.

[Laffy Kat]

4. I've never been to a chiro. but had PT.

I had terrible sciatica that developed during my last pregnancy 22 years ago. I finally, reluctantly, agreed to go to the physical therapist my doctor ordered, and by golly, it worked. It took a few weeks to go completely away. Now when I feel like it's returning, I just do my exercises they taught me and nip it in the bud. Good luck to you.

[beachbum bob]

5. No chiropractor can fix bulging and/or herniated discs, my step daughter has found out the

hard way as she goes into back surgery today for likely damaged caused by going to a chiropractor.

[mitch96]

10. "No chiropractor can fix bulging and/or herniated discs"

My problem with chiropractic alone is it just manipulates the bones. The muscle will then bring the bones back to where they were and the problem will persist. I had a chiro tell me that it's two fold. Manipulate the spine to remove the source of the pain and then relax the muscle to prevent the it from going back to the spasm state which caused the pain.. That's why they use moist heat after the treatment. I've also had good luck with acupuncture to reduce the spasm. Kinda sorta short circuits the nerve signal to spasm the muscle..
Hey, 3000 years of "anecdotal evidence" that traditional medicine works is ok by me...
YMMV..
m

[beachbum bob]

13. my step daughters chiroprator manipulated her bones into such a state that she could no longer walk

She finally went in (this past Monday)and got MRI and xray and the results were so bad that surgeon scheduled the surgery in less than 4 days (today). His fear is the nerve damage maybe permanent. The 3 bulging disks and a herniated disk all in a row in her lower back. My stepson is is so pissed he may actually call a lawyer to go after the chiropractor.

[mitch96]

14. " The 3 bulging disks and a herniated disk all in a row in her lower back."

I am so sorry to hear about this.. In a perfect world this should not happen but it does. I had an acquaintance that was (re:was) a chiropractor. He got very disillusioned with the field as it seemed to him it was just a means to make a ton of money. All the seminars were how to attract patients and "keep them on the hook" to extract the most money out of each visit and keep them coming back. Not much on helping patients.
He has since stopped practicing Chiropractic medicine.
If you are just getting people in to "rackem' and crackem'" you are bound to manipulate someone who needs further medical attention beyond chiropractic. Don't get me wrong, I've gone to some very good chiro's who helped but it did not last long. A few even told me it was beyond their scope and needed to see a neuro surgeon or orthopedic doc. If I can help it I tend to stay away from them all but that's me.. I feel so bad about your step daughter and hope all comes out well..
m

[marybourg]

6. Haven't you been offered a cortisone

injection into the area? I don’t believe g.p.’s do it, but orthopedic specialists and rheumatologists do.

[WePurrsevere]

7. I have, three times and it worked really well for me BUT...

it didn't as well for my husband for his back issue. The difference between us is the cause.

For instance... I was born with a hip that likes to pop out and in. In doing so nerves get pinched, sometimes to the point where I can barely move, no less function. issue

OTOH my husband has a bad back with a degenerative disease affecting his spine. Early on in the disease a slight chiro adjustment would help a bit, now, unfortunately, it no longer does.

I suggest a bit of research since being able to help can be dependent upon what exactly is wrong with your back. If you choose to use a chiropractor ask around for recommendations. While I have yet to run into a truly bad one, I've run into some who are excellent and some who are 'meh' for helping.

Good luck and I truly hope you find relief. Being in pain really sucks the ability to enjoy life way down.

[safeinOhio]

8. 1972 I had terrible back pain and went to a chiropractor.

Got the up sale treatment, 3 days a week for a month then two days for a while and on and on.
Problem was with my lower back, had to adjust my neck also, or so he explained. He hurt my neck which was never a problem and to this day it still hurts.
If you can find an old OD, they can adjust your spine once or twice and it will work better that the chiropractor and safer. Deaths have occurred with chiropractors.
I started a new job then that required very hard physical work and after a few days of that work, my back pain went away.

[enough]

11. My husband used to have severe debilitating bouts of sciatica. He swears by yoga.

For relief and prevention. It’s one of the things that got him hooked on yoga, which is now a regular part of his life.

[Hoyt]

12. I'd try PT. Went to a chiropractor decades ago for back and leg pain/numbness. He said that numbness

would spread to other parts of your body -- I yelled, "what parts?" Exactly, the response he intended.

He gave me a bunch of fear inducing BS and started all kinds of treatments that were essentially massage. It felt good at the moment, but had no lasting impact.

I read up on stretching exercises, and that produced longer term relief, don't have a serious problem nowadays -- thank dog.

With that said, doesn't hurt to try a chiropractor. Just be prepared in case they give you a lot of BS to scare you into expensive treatments. Insurance coverage varies, so check that.

Good luck.

[Runningdawg]

15. I get it occasionally

Nothing worked, not even the chiro or weed UNTIL... kratom. Now when I get a flare I do a 3 day course of red and green. Within the first 24 hours I can stand and sit without pain, the next I can walk, bend, ect... and finally by the 3 day there is no pain when I lay down, this is when mine hurts the worst.

[Marthe48]

16. I had problems

I went to a sports med dr. who set me up with intense therapy. Heat, then massage, every 3 days for about 2 weeks. He said in most people, the sciatica is under a muscle, but in some people, the muscle splits and surrounds the sciatica. It the muscle gets inflamed, it swells and presses on the sciatica. His aim was to get the muscle relaxed and inflammation reduced. At first, the massage hurt, but I started feeling better. That treatment fixed me up pretty good. I have sciatica pain once in awhile, but I know where to massage to get the muscle settled down. It was in the 90s I had treatment, and I haven't had that kind of pain since.

Good luck to you. Hope by now you are feeling much better!

[triron]

17. I use an inversion table. Never have it anymore.

Also helps keep my spine aligned.

[ProfessorGAC]

18. My Wife Yes

Went 4 times. Helped a little twice for a few days. Other 2 days were useless.
She has severe calcification in the spaces between 4 of the 5 lumbar vertebrae. (3 of the four gaps)
It's basically turned into on long, crooked bone. So, the disks are pushing in different directions, none like they should be.
Really, nothing works except pain management, which is mostly cannabis.