Sciatica
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Sciatica
Houston Chiropractor Comments: The term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain—and possibly numbness, tingling or weakness—that originate in the lower back and travel through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg. It is a common complaint, with more than 3 million cases a year being reported.
Sciatica symptoms occur when: 
- The large sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed in the lumbar spine.
- Sciatica is often characterized by one or a combination of the following symptoms.
- Constant pain in only one side of the buttock or leg (rarely can occur in both legs).
- Pain that is worse when sitting
- Leg pain that is often described as burning, tingling or searing (vs. a dull ache)
- Weakness, numbness or difficulty moving the leg or foot.
- A sharp pain that may make it difficult to stand up or to walk.
Sciatica type pain is usually caused by 6 main conditions. These conditions are lumbar herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, lumbar spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome and sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
Sciatica is typically self –limiting and will resolve itself with ice, stretching and light exercise. On cases that last more than 72 hours (3 days) the assistance of a doctor or trained therapist is beneficial. Conservative care is the most beneficial except in cases with loss of bowel or bladder function. Chiropractic care with spinal manipulation has been shown to have excellent results. Physical modalities can be added to assist in reducing the muscle spasms and inflammation. After the sciatica is resolved, a good stretching and strengthening program for the back is beneficial to help prevent a reoccurrence. If you have issues with your sciatica in Houston TX call me now.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Questions Regarding Pregnancy & Chiropractic
Your Prenatal Chiropractic Questions Answered
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Houston Chiropractor Comments:
What role can a chiropractor play in prenatal care for expecting moms? The role of a chiropractor in 
prenatal care is to establish pelvic balance and alignment, not only to reduce the mother/baby discomfort but also to allow the baby to be in the best position for delivery. When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room for the developing baby to be comfortable and they may seek out a less than optimal positioning for birth. Our chiropractic training provides safe exercises, stretches and manipulation (adjustment) to the low back and pelvis to optimize alignment. “Currently, the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) recommends that women receive chiropractic care throughout pregnancy to establish pelvic balance and optimize the room a baby has for development throughout pregnancy. With a balanced pelvis, babies have a greater chance of moving into the correct position for birth, and the crisis and worry associated with breech and posterior presentations may be avoided altogether. Optimal baby positioning at the time of birth also eliminates the potential for dystocia (difficult labor) and therefore results in easier and safer deliveries for both the mother and baby.” Most expectant mothers state that they feel like they walk better because there is fluid motion in the hip joints (SI joints).
How can a chiropractor help during postnatal care? Often after birth, whether vaginally or via c-section, the mother’s pelvic biomechanics change – these changes can bring discomfort with walking, nursing and sleeping. We restore the pelvic balance with similar manipulation, exercises and stretches that were used in the prenatal care. It can also be beneficial to mobilize the thoracic region due to positions during breastfeeding, bottle feeding or simply rocking children. There is a tendency for new mothers to flex forward for long periods of time which can aggravate the mid back area. Carrying diaper bags and car seats with infants in them also alters biomechanics.
Does the OB-GYN have to refer the expecting mom? Most insurance companies do not require OB or PCP referrals – it is always a good idea to call your plan before making the appointment just to make sure you have coverage. If no insurance is available, we have reasonable cash plans.
What are some of the conditions you treat in expecting moms or moms who just had a baby? The most common conditions we treat are pregnancy-related sciatica or pelvic pain with walking, sitting and/or sleeping. We also treat middle back pain in postnatal mothers related to breast feeding, bottle feeding or simply rocking babies to sleep.
What do you like about working with expecting moms? As a father, I remember what it was like and love to see a women’s excitement about the upcoming new arrival! I enjoy seeing the pregnancies advance and the care that we provide support the mother through her journey.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Dr Beecher’s August 3 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
Low Back Problems and Their Cause
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Clear Lake Chiropractor comments: Low back pain for many of us is somewhat of a middle age problem. Lots of sufferers begin to seek chiropractic care in their 30’s and 40’s and wonder how it all happened. Perhaps it was a sneeze, a long drive, or gardening in the yard that set the pain off. But you were always able to do these things before without so much as a chirp from your low back. And now things are different. Even job stress can add to back pain.
So how come your back seems so weak, when it was so strong before? What changed? Not much in fact. The reality is that back problems begin during our youth. With advances in MRI technology we can study changes in the disks of the back to see when these injuries first occur. Spinal degeneration begins to occur at age 10, provided some trauma has occurred, such as from competitive sports or simply goofing off as a child. Rarely is significant pain involved and the child seems to shake off the injury with little future consequence. But having back pain is not the same as a having a back problem, such as a sprain of the disk. When the pain subsides, it does not always mean that symmetrical motion of the joint is restored and the vertebrae are now back in their normal position…but the pain may be much less.
Our bodies have a tremendous capacity to heal on their own without any type of doctor helping out. Mother Nature and innate intelligence is the best doctor. But sometimes recovery and return to full and optimum health is incomplete.
Over time the effects of gravity and daily stresses, cause the joint to become more injured until something as simple as making the bed causes excruciating pain. But was it really the bed making? Probably not because this is something you’ve done every day of your life. A thorough examination by a doctor of chiropractic prior to the onset of pain could have perhaps discovered one of these “silent” injuries. But most people wait until the pain happens before seeking help.
It’s important to be checked after a trauma, even in young children. Properly diagnosing the extent of injury is the first step to getting you the care you may need. The pain often goes away quickly and we often think the problem has also completely healed.
Getting regular check ups to make sure the motions of your spine are fluid and symmetrical is one potential way to avoid bigger problems down the road. Your doctor of chiropractic can also advise you on preventive strategies to minimize the risk of injury, such as proper lifting techniques.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
