ACUPUNCTURE FOR SCIATICA

Though acupuncture is well known for its effectiveness in treating pain conditions, what often prompts people to come to see us at Bribie Acupuncture for treatment is not the pain itself but the impact the pain has on their quality of life. Pain can stop you from enjoying your morning walks, keep you off the golf course, or prevent you from running your best time in the next race.

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 leg - 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! 

It is estimated that up to 40% of people experience sciatica at some point during their lives, most commonly in people in their 40’s or 50’s, and more commonly in 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. Even sitting for extended periods, such as during long car rides, may be the culprit. Pain is triggered when pressure is put on the sciatic nerve such as from 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. Often the root cause is a tight piriformis muscle in the buttocks, but other muscles in the lower back and pelvic region often contribute to sciatic pain.

TIGHT MUSCLES & MUSCLE SPASMS
Though the source of pain can sometimes be obvious, often more subtle dysfunctions in the nervous system result in neuropathic pain (nerve pain) which cannot be seen on x-rays or ultrasound scans. Oftentimes this pain involves the nerve to muscle connection where affected muscles that have become shortened/ tightened or overstretched/ loosened, physically compounds the pain due to reduced blood flow. A classic example is someone who suffers back pain after long periods of sitting: though their back muscles may of course be affected, often the muscles in their buttocks become overstretched and the muscles at the top of their thigh become overly tight (simply due to the body position while seated), and the muscles become inhibited or “switch off”, causing pain to refer to the back. Or, in the case of sciatica, the tight muscles could be pushing on the sciatic nerve. 

When muscles are inhibited, matters can become more complex as these muscles can feel weak and we often compensate by altering our posture, creating more dysfunction in other areas of the body, creating a domino effect. We likely all know someone who has injured their knee, then started walking with a tilted posture, and wound up also having back pain. 

The first step to treatment with acupuncture is an assessment of which muscles may be contributing to the condition. Once this is determined, we are able to find the points in which nerves meet those muscles, known as motor points. When an acupuncture needle is used on a motor point with an electric impulse, it creates a contraction and relaxation phase releasing tight contracted bands of muscle or tightens overstretched bands of muscle. This is like hitting a reset button. The results are immediate pain relief and improved muscle contractibility and mobility.

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.

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