For tens of hundreds of years acupuncture has been a mainstream treatment in China for sciatica. Sciatica is a condition that Western medicine defines as a form of back pain starting in the lower back and radiating down the back of the leg downwards along the trajectory of the sciatic nerve. This condition is actually not a diagnosis but a symptom/sign of another underlying health problem. Sciatica is usually caused by a compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve. The factors that lead to this pain can include tightness in the piriformis muscles (found in the buttock), degenerative disc disease, a constricting of the spinal channel (spinal stenopsis), or spinal lumbar disc herniation.
Sciatica and Golfers
At some point during their golfing activities, it is not uncommon for a lot of golfers to develop sciatica or pain/discomfort in their lower back. The twisting of the lower back and the extreme forces at play during a golf swing can be blamed for much of this discomfort. It is highly likely that the back pain will occur if the low back and stomach muscles are too weak to withstand the forces or if the swing technique is not correct. The fact is, in golf, the prevalence of sciatica and low back pain is so common that a term can been given to this type of ailment: “golfer’s back.”
If You Suffer From Sciatica You Can Benefit From a 4,000 Year Old Treatment
As a viable alternative to Western medicine, a lot of people choose acupuncture because of its very few and very minor side effects and its extreme efficacy compared to people who go for surgery or drugs. The latest research in biomedicine suggests that acupuncture promotes the production and release of the body’s natural painkillers, endorphins. Chinese medicine practitioners firmly believe that acupuncture in Palm Harbor alleviates inflammation, relaxes tense muscles, nourishes, tendons and ligaments, and boosts blood circulation. When you enhance blood flow, you will keep the tendons, ligaments, and joints of the back supple. Boosting blood flow can also help relax the muscles and lessen inflammation that may directly reduce the compression/pressure on the sciatic nerve. The pain will be relieved once the compression is loosened.
A Golfer’s Tale
Mr. Smith, a 62-year old man, complained about his symptoms with a pained look on his face. He told me about the “sciatica” that he had developed after having been golfing for many years. He said that his left buttock is where much of the pain was felt, which seem to aggravate while playing golf and with sitting. A sharp stabbing pain going down the back of the leg into the ankle was felt when the sciatica was aggravated, making it very for him to walk. Mr. Smith tried various kinds of treatments all of which he said did little to relieve his condition. It was clear that he had a classic case of “piriformis syndrome” after I had evaluated him. His pain came from the buttock caused by a tightening of his piriformis muscle. I assured him that within a few treatments he would feel a significant reduction of the pain. His discomfort dramatically improved by 80% after just the first acupuncture treatment. He felt no discomfort after the third treatment. Mr. Smith had been enduring several years of debilitating and annoying sciatic pain; his pain and discomfort completely disappeared after 6 acupuncture sessions.
Using A Modern Spin To An Age-Old Medicine
The main goal of the acupuncturist is to rid you of your pain. Once the pain is gone, he/she will then exploit the outcomes of modern research to maintain the benefits of your treatment. Your acupuncturist will teach you all the things you need to know and do to maintain the looseness, strength, suppleness of those stabilizer muscles. If you have sciatica stop suffering needlessly, get treated with a modality that combines modern and ancient research to regain your freedom and mobility.
COMMENTS