Acupuncture for sciatica

One of the main nerves in our legs is called the sciatic nerve which traverses from the lower back, through the buttock and down the leg. When the nerve is inflamed, pain, numbness, and/or weakness is often felt in the buttock and upper thigh - in some cases the pain can travel down to the feet, down the back or side of the leg. Sciatica can literally be a big pain in the butt! 

There has been an increase in the number of clients that have come to my clinic in recent weeks due to back pain and sciatica - many of them have been spending more time in their gardens, lifting heavy objects, and sitting in the car for long periods of time. It has been estimated that up to 40% of people experience sciatica at some time during their lives, most commonly in people in their 40’s or 50’s, and more commonly men than women.

Sciatic pain may be constant or it may be felt as a sudden pinching sensation. Oftentimes sciatica cannot be blamed on a specific trauma - sometimes simply bending, lifting, or straining may aggravate it. Pain is triggered when pressure is put on the sciatic nerve such as the spinal discs or tight muscles, or more seriously spinal disc herniation, when a portion of the spinal disc bulges out of the spinal column and pushes on the sciatic nerve, or spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal.
​
Fortunately tight muscles or spasms are the most common cause of sciatica, which can be treated more easily. Most often the culprit is a tight piriformis muscle in the buttocks, but other muscles in the lower back and pelvic region often contribute to sciatic pain.
​
Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for sciatica, eliminating or significantly decreasing pain and increasing quality of life. Research has shown acupuncture to be successful in treating back pain and sciatica through the following mechanisms:

• Stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, leading to the release of endorphins which relieves stress and pain
• Reducing inflammation and muscle stiffness and increasing joint mobility by increasing blood circulation in the affected area
• Promoting regeneration of the sciatic nerve.

Acupuncture is a popular and effective treatment for sciatica which is without the side effects of prescription pain medications like NSAIDs and muscle relaxers. Clinical guidelines for low back pain in the United States are now almost universally recommending acupuncture for low back pain over previously-favoured pharmaceutical and surgical options. The American College of Physicians, Medicare/Medicaid and the Joint Commission (which establishes criteria for hospital accreditation) have all recommended acupuncture for low back pain.