Acupuncture for Sciatica

Did you know that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of sciatica and back pain? 


 Sciatica affects many people, and we see it almost weekly in the clinic. Acupuncture can help with sciatica by determining and treating the root cause of your pain, decreasing inflammation, stimulating the nervous system to release your body’s natural pain killers (enkephalins and endorphins), and improving blood flow to allow the body to heal quicker.

 

 

 

 

Sciatica is a debilitating pain affecting the back, hip, and outer side of the leg caused by compression of a spinal nerve root in the lower back. This is often caused by a disc herniation, bone spurs, spinal stenosis, or impingement of the nerve by the piriformis muscle. 

 

 

Your first treatment will look like this: 

 

Determine the Root Cause

To determine the root cause and where the sciatic pain is stemming from, we take you through orthopaedic evaluations and a lengthy questionnaire to determine what muscular imbalances or internal deficiencies may be causing to your condition. Examples of this may be poor work ergonomics, muscular imbalances, lifestyle and dietary habits, emotional strain, previous injuries, or degeneration of the spine that occurs with ageing. 

 

Create A Treatment Plan

From there, our treatment plan rises and your session may include cupping, guasha, electrical acupuncture or pressure points to help resolve the issue. The acupuncture points we use will release tense muscles, stimulate weakened muscles, decrease inflammation occurring at the sciatica nerve root(s), and stop pain by releasing your bodies natural pain killers. We may also use other acupuncture points that address the underlying imbalances we have found during your intake if we deem necessary. 

 

Treat and Suggest

At the end of your appointment, your acupuncturist may suggest exercises to perform at home to speed up your recovery time, and may send you home with some herbal salves to assist in the pain management. The most important thing in your recovery is consistency! Acupuncture is not a one-time cure. For sciatica, depending on the cause, we typically see patients for 4-8 treatments before it is resolved. Patients with acute sciatica may find relief within two to three acupuncture sessions. On the other hand, patients with chronic sciatica usually require about eight to 12 treatments depending on what caused the problem (e.g. disc herniation, stenosis, bone spurs). Many times there are muscular weaknesses at play, so consistency with exercise rehabilitation is also important on your path to healing. 

 

 

If you are suffering from sciatica or back pain, or are wondering if acupuncture is right for you, give us a call 778-376-2157 or book your appointment here: https://vitalpointacupuncture.janeapp.com/

 

If you have had any medical imaging done on your spine, please send that into us ahead of time to look at before your appointment.

Kristina Adams

Kristina Adams

Owner

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