Physician vs. Chiropractor for Sciatic Nerve Pain

Sciatic nerve pain is caused by an injury to or the compression of the sciatic nerve. The pain usually begins in the back and radiates down through the buttocks and into the leg. Treatments vary, so consideration of all options and healers is advised.

Significance

• Sciatic nerve pain can be so severe that it leaves a person immobile. Other times, it can be described as a dull ache, a minor tingling or a burning pain.

Considerations

• Sciatic nerve pain is a symptom, not a condition. Finding out the cause of the pain is imperative in the course of treatment and recovery.

Effects

• A slipped or herniated disc, a fractured vertebra, a stress fracture or a tumor can cause sciatic nerve pain. If the cause is outside the scope of a chiropractor, a physician's care is advised.

Features

• Chiropractic care of sciatic nerve pain is always non-surgical and no medications are prescribed. Ice and heat therapy, ultrasound, spinal adjustment, and physical exercise may be used.

Function

• A physician treating sciatic nerve pain will determine the cause, the severity and the course of action. Anti-inflammatory medication is often beneficial, and oftentimes cortisol injections are used. Surgery is always the last resort.

Potential

• Physicians and chiropractors frequently work together in treating a patient's sciatica. Co-managing the treatment and the progress of the patient yields excellent results.