Sciatica Treatment in Macomb, MI
Sciatica has a way of making ordinary activities difficult. Sitting at your desk, getting out of the car, walking through a store or even finding a comfortable position in bed can become painful when irritation of the sciatic nerve sends pain from the lower back or buttock into the leg.
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It is formed by nerve roots in the lower spine and travels through the buttock and down the leg. When those nerve roots or the sciatic nerve becomes irritated or compressed, the result can be sharp or burning pain, numbness, tingling or weakness that follows the path of the nerve.
Dr. Pavel Bence, DC, CCWP has more than 40 years of chiropractic experience and treats sciatica by determining what is placing stress on the nerve in the first place. A disc problem, restricted spinal or pelvic movement, muscle tension, degenerative changes and other conditions can produce similar symptoms but require different approaches to care. Finding the source matters.
Dr. Bence also believes sciatica should be addressed early. Pain that has been present for a few days is generally easier to work with than a problem that has been repeatedly aggravated for months. The goal is to address the mechanics contributing to the nerve irritation, restore movement and help keep an acute problem from becoming a recurring one.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sciatica
What Is Sciatica, and How Do I Know if I Have It?
Sciatica describes symptoms caused by irritation or compression involving the sciatic nerve or the nerve roots that form it. The classic pattern is pain that begins in the lower back or buttock and travels down one leg, sometimes reaching the calf or foot. The pain may feel sharp, burning or electric, and numbness, tingling or weakness can occur as well. Not every pain in the lower back, hip or leg is sciatica, however. Sacroiliac joint problems, muscle problems and other conditions can produce similar symptoms. Dr. Bence examines the lower spine, pelvis, muscles and neurological function to determine where your symptoms are coming from before deciding how to treat them.
What Causes Sciatica?
Sciatica has several possible causes. Herniated or bulging discs, degenerative disc changes, spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis can irritate nerve roots in the lower spine. Problems involving the pelvis and surrounding muscles can also contribute to sciatic-type symptoms. Long periods of sitting, repetitive bending or lifting, poor posture, previous injuries and physically demanding work place additional stress on these areas. Because the same pain pattern can develop for different reasons, Dr. Bence focuses on identifying the mechanical problem behind the symptoms rather than treating every case of sciatica the same way.
Can a Chiropractor Help with Sciatica?
Yes. Chiropractic care addresses many of the spinal, pelvic and muscular problems that contribute to sciatica. Dr. Bence first determines where the nerve is being irritated and what is creating that irritation. Chiropractic adjustments restore movement and balance to restricted areas of the lower spine and pelvis and reduce mechanical stress affecting the nerve. Depending on the cause, treatment also includes flexion-distraction, massage therapy and specific exercises or stretches. The treatment plan is based on the individual problem rather than simply where the patient feels pain.
How Long Does Sciatica Last?
How long sciatica lasts depends largely on what is causing the nerve irritation, how long the problem has been present and how the body responds to care. A recent episode caused by a relatively simple mechanical problem is very different from symptoms associated with a longstanding disc injury or degenerative change. Dr. Bence encourages patients to have sciatica evaluated early rather than repeatedly waiting for the pain to disappear. Even when symptoms settle down temporarily, an underlying mechanical problem can continue to trigger recurring episodes if it is never addressed.
What Is the Best Way to Relieve Sciatica Pain?
The best way to relieve sciatica is to determine what is irritating the nerve and treat that problem. Heat, ice, changing positions or gentle movement can make you more comfortable temporarily, but the same approach is not appropriate for every cause of sciatica. At Bence Chiropractic Wellness Center, treatment begins with an examination of the spine, pelvis, neurological function and surrounding muscles. Dr. Bence then selects the combination of chiropractic adjustments, flexion-distraction, massage and therapeutic exercise appropriate for what he finds.
Dr. Bence also uses a specialized therapeutic adjusting table designed specifically for treating sciatica and other lower back problems.
Is Walking or Stretching Good for Sciatica?
Movement is generally an important part of recovery, but the right movement depends on the cause of your sciatica. A stretch that feels good for one type of problem can aggravate another. Dr. Bence uses the examination to determine which muscles and joints need more mobility and which movements should be avoided while the nerve is irritated. He then gives patients specific stretches and exercises that reinforce the work being done in the office. The goal is to keep recovery moving forward between visits rather than simply telling every patient with sciatica to perform the same exercises.
How Should I Sleep with Sciatica?
Many people with sciatica are more comfortable on their back with a pillow beneath their knees or on their side with a pillow between their knees. Both positions help reduce twisting and unnecessary stress through the lower back and pelvis. Your most comfortable position will still depend on what is causing the nerve irritation. If nighttime pain repeatedly wakes you or no position provides relief, that is another reason to have the problem evaluated rather than continuing to experiment with sleeping positions.
When Does Sciatica Require Immediate Medical Attention?
Most sciatica is not an emergency, but certain neurological changes require immediate medical evaluation. Seek emergency care for sudden loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness around the groin or saddle area, or rapidly progressing weakness in the leg. Significant weakness, difficulty walking or neurological symptoms that are clearly worsening also deserve prompt attention. Part of a thorough chiropractic evaluation is recognizing whether a patient’s symptoms belong in Dr. Bence’s office or require another level of care.
Sciatica Is a Symptom, Not the Whole Story
Two people can both describe shooting pain down the leg and have entirely different problems creating it. That distinction is important because sciatica tells Dr. Bence where you are experiencing symptoms, but it does not automatically explain why the nerve is irritated.
Sometimes the problem begins at a nerve root in the lower spine. In other patients, pelvic mechanics or tight muscles around the buttock contribute to the pain pattern. A previous injury, years of repetitive lifting or long hours spent sitting can gradually change the way the lower back and pelvis function until the nerve becomes irritated.
That is why Dr. Bence does not begin by asking only, “Where does it hurt?” He wants to know what is producing the pressure or irritation and what needs to change so the nerve has an opportunity to settle down.
“With sciatica, the pain down the leg gets your attention, but that’s not necessarily where the problem starts. We have to find what’s irritating the nerve and treat the cause rather than chase the pain.” Dr. Pavel Bence, DC, CCWP
What Causes Sciatic Nerve Pain?
Herniated and Bulging Discs
Spinal discs sit between the vertebrae and help absorb force while allowing the spine to move. Each disc has a tough outer layer surrounding a softer center. Repeated bending, twisting, heavy or improper lifting, poor mechanics or an injury can damage those outer fibers and allow the disc to bulge outward. If the outer layer tears, material from the center can move through it, creating a herniated disc.
When a bulging or herniated disc irritates one of the nerve roots that contributes to the sciatic nerve, pain can travel through the buttock and leg rather than remaining only in the lower back. Disc problems can also restrict normal spinal movement, creating additional mechanical stress around the injured area.
Degenerative Disc Changes
Discs change with age and accumulated stress. As a disc loses hydration and height, the space available around nearby nerves can become smaller. Degenerative changes can also alter the mechanics of the joints around that spinal level.
Chiropractic care does not rebuild a worn disc. Dr. Bence’s goal is to preserve as much healthy movement as possible, reduce mechanical stress around the affected area and address the symptoms associated with those changes.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis refers to narrowing of spaces within the spine where nerves travel. When that narrowing affects the nerve roots in the lower back, standing and walking may aggravate leg pain, numbness or weakness. Some people notice that bending forward or sitting reduces their symptoms.
Because stenosis involves structural changes that differ from patient to patient, Dr. Bence evaluates how much of the patient’s discomfort is related to the narrowing itself and how much is influenced by movement, joint restriction and surrounding muscle tension. That determines what chiropractic care is designed to accomplish for that individual.
Pelvic and Sacroiliac Joint Problems
The sacroiliac joints connect the pelvis to the sacrum at the base of the spine. When the pelvis is not moving properly, muscles around the hips and buttocks compensate for that imbalance. This can produce pain that resembles sciatica and can also add stress to tissues surrounding the sciatic nerve.
Restoring balanced movement to the pelvis and removing stress from the sciatic nerve is an important part of Dr. Bence’s approach when examination findings show that pelvic mechanics are contributing to the problem.
Tight or Spasming Muscles
The sciatic nerve passes through the buttock in close relationship with several muscles. When those muscles become chronically tight or go into spasm, they can contribute to irritation along the nerve’s path.
This is one reason Dr. Bence looks beyond the spine when evaluating sciatica. Correcting joint movement while ignoring significant muscle tension leaves part of the mechanical problem unaddressed.
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra shifts forward in relation to the vertebra beneath it. If that shift reduces the space available for a nerve root, pain, tingling, numbness or weakness can extend into the buttock and leg.
The degree of slippage and the patient’s neurological findings are important. Dr. Bence measures and evaluates those factors before determining whether chiropractic care is appropriate and what type of treatment should be used.
How Dr. Bence Treats Sciatica in Macomb
Finding the Source Comes First
A sciatica examination begins with a conversation. Dr. Bence wants to know when the pain started, where it travels, which movements make it better or worse, whether numbness or weakness is present, what you do for work and whether previous injuries could be contributing to the problem.
He then evaluates the lower spine, pelvis, posture, movement and neurological function using the orthopedic, neurological and palpatory examinations appropriate to your symptoms. Digital imaging is used when the examination and history indicate that it will provide useful information.
The purpose is not simply to confirm that your leg hurts. It is to determine why.
Specific Chiropractic Adjustments
When restricted or poorly functioning joints in the lower spine or pelvis are contributing to nerve irritation, Dr. Bence uses chiropractic adjustments to restore better movement and reduce the mechanical stress being placed on the area.
Sciatica care often requires particular attention to the relationship between the lower spine, pelvis and surrounding muscles. An imbalance in one area changes how the others move and carry weight. Restoring better mechanics gives the irritated tissues a better environment in which to recover.
Flexion-Distraction for Disc-Related Sciatica
For certain disc-related problems, Dr. Bence uses a Cox flexion-distraction and decompression table that allows him to gently move and distract the lower spine in a controlled manner. Rather than delivering a conventional manual adjustment, the table creates a rhythmic movement through the affected spinal segments.
The technique is used to improve movement, increase spaces for the spinal discs and reduce mechanical pressure around irritated discs and nerve roots. Because not every case of sciatica is caused by a disc problem, flexion-distraction is selected according to the examination findings rather than used automatically for everyone with leg pain.
Exercises and Stretches That Match the Problem
Recovery continues after you leave the office. Dr. Bence gives patients exercises and stretches designed around the mechanical problems he finds rather than handing everyone the same generic sciatica routine.
Some patients need to improve mobility. Others need greater stability or better support from the muscles around the lower back and pelvis. The exercises reinforce the changes being made through chiropractic care and help patients participate in their own recovery between visits.
Massage Therapy for Muscle Tension
When tight muscles around the lower back, hips and buttocks are contributing to sciatic nerve irritation, massage therapy works alongside chiropractic care to address that part of the problem.
Reducing muscle tension makes movement easier and helps prevent tight soft tissues from continuing to pull on the pelvis or aggravate sensitive areas around the nerve. Bence Chiropractic Wellness Center offers massage therapy in the office so structural and muscular components of the problem can be addressed together when appropriate.
Sitting, Work and the Everyday Causes of Sciatica
Sciatica does not always begin with a dramatic injury. Dr. Bence sees many patients whose symptoms develop after months or years of smaller stresses accumulating in the lower back and pelvis.
Long hours at a desk or behind the wheel keep the hips flexed and the body in one position for extended periods. Physically demanding work creates a different kind of stress through repeated lifting, bending, climbing and twisting. Poor posture, weak supporting muscles and extra body weight can add to the load.
The answer is not simply to stop sitting or stop working. Dr. Bence looks at how those activities affect your particular condition and helps you identify practical changes in movement, posture and exercise that support the treatment being performed in the office.
Why Early Care Matters
Sciatic pain sometimes eases temporarily, leading people to assume the problem has resolved. But when the underlying mechanical issue remains, another long drive, day of yard work, lifting project or seemingly ordinary movement can bring the symptoms back.
Dr. Bence prefers to address sciatica while the problem is still relatively new. Early care gives him an opportunity to identify what is irritating the nerve, restore better movement and help the patient change the mechanical stresses that contributed to the problem before they become an established pattern.
That does not mean longstanding sciatica cannot be treated. It means the history of the problem matters. A nerve that has been irritated repeatedly for months requires a different approach and often more patience than a recent episode.
Getting You Back to the Things Sciatica Has Interrupted
Sciatica affects more than your leg. It can change how long you can sit, how far you can walk, how well you sleep and whether you feel comfortable doing the work and activities that are part of your normal day.
Dr. Bence builds treatment around helping you regain that function. Chiropractic adjustments, flexion-distraction, massage therapy, therapeutic exercise or a combination of approaches are used according to what your examination shows and how your body responds to care.
The goal is not simply a quieter nerve for a few hours. It is better movement, less irritation and a return to the everyday activities sciatic pain has been taking away from you.
Ready to Get Moving Again?
Whether sciatic pain started this week or has been bothering you for months, we’re here to help. Bence Chiropractic Wellness Center provides chiropractic care for sciatica in Macomb and the surrounding communities.
Call (586) 978-9900 to schedule your visit. Walk-in appointments are always welcome.
Related Conditions
Lower Back Pain
Sciatica and lower back pain often share the same root causes — see how we approach both together.
Learn moreChiropractic Care
The adjustments and approach behind every sciatica treatment plan, explained in more detail.
Learn moreMassage Therapy
Complementary soft-tissue work that helps relieve the muscle tension contributing to sciatic pain.
Learn moreWhat Our Patients Are Saying
Nothing is more rewarding than knowing we’ve helped our patients live healthier, happier lives. We invite you to read what individuals and families throughout Macomb and the surrounding communities have shared about their experience at Bence Chiropractic Wellness Center.