Are you one of the 20.4% of American adults living with chronic pain? If you are, you’d probably like to find a solution.
Chronic pain can last for years and impact your quality of life in significant ways. At first, you make small adjustments to accommodate your pain. Maybe you find another family member to open the jars for you or you sit out your favorite activities.
Before you know it, you’re sitting out your favorite activities. Natural pain management can help you get your life back.
4 Ways Natural Pain Management Can Benefit You Mentally and Physically
Finding ways to manage chronic pain is important to your quality of life. Everyone is different so what works for you may not work for your spouse or friend, but these natural approaches have many benefits.
Yoga – From “lay on the floor” Yin Yoga to Power Yoga, there’s a yoga style to fit everyone. Of course, if you want to incorporate yoga into your pain management program, it’s important to assess your current activity level and find a teacher/class geared towards those in chronic pain. If you’re not a regular practitioner, you can find a beginner class to give it a try. Some yoga studios offer classes called “Yoga Basics” or “Yoga for Beginners.” You can also call and ask about classes for natural pain management.
Massage Therapy – Harvard Health Publishing shares that “A study published in Annals of Family Medicine in 2014 found that 60-minute therapeutic massage sessions two or three times a week for four weeks relieved chronic neck pain better than no massage or fewer or shorter massage sessions.”
It also benefits chronic back pain, shoulder pain, and other conditions. Massage therapy stretches and soothes your muscles and tendons which can reduce pain. It also relieves anxiety which helps reduce your pain too. We recommend interspersing massage with chiropractic treatments.
Chiropractic Care – Chiropractors use spinal manipulation and other therapies to help treat people with chronic pain. While chiropractors are often thought of for back pain relief, they can also help with carpal tunnel, headaches, and other chronic pain.
For example, at our chiropractic office, your first visit will include an x-ray and health assessment. That way, we can create an individualized treatment plan for your pain management. It may include some exercises and alternating heat and cold in between chiropractic adjustments.
Acupuncture – This ancient practice is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. If you’re familiar with it, the practitioner uses tiny needles at strategic points in the body to release the body’s natural life force. The idea is that pain and illness come from blockages within the body. When the blockages are removed, blood and oxygen can flow freely.
Of course, this is only a sampling of natural pain management techniques. You might try physical therapy, hot and cold therapies, and a combination of other therapies. Fortunately, there are many ways you can feel better.
If you’re in chronic pain, you know the toll it takes on your physical and mental well-being. It zaps your energy and enthusiasm. You deserve to feel better.
First, you want to get at the source of why you have chronic pain. Maybe you know your knee pain stems from high school sports. Or, you suspect your shoulder pain relates to long hours at the computer. From run-of-the-mill chronic pain to sciatica and slipped discs, the right blend of therapies can help you feel your best.
If you’re in Doylestown, PA, why not visit us for more information about pain management? Dr. McQuaite will consult with you and develop a treatment plan for your specific body. We take most insurance! Why not come in and let us help you feel better!
If you’re looking for a drug-free, effective treatment for sciatica or a herniated disc, chiropractic care may be able to help you.
Often these two conditions go hand in hand. First, there’s a herniated disc and then sciatica.
That’s not always the case, but it is common.
You probably want to know the difference between sciatica and a herniated disc and your options for finding safe pain relief.
Let’s start with the difference between the two.
What’s the Difference Between Sciatica and a Herniated Disc?
There are many different terms for lower back pain. You’ve probably heard of a slipped disc, a herniated disc, a pinched nerve, and sciatica, to name a few. You might wonder what the difference is and how your treatment should vary.
Namely, you do want a doctor’s evaluation to identify the cause of your lower back pain. This will likely include a physical exam to test your movement, muscle strength, and reflexes. Additionally, the doctor will probably press on parts of your back to identify the source of pain.
From there, you can map out a treatment plan. Chiropractic care can be part of your treatment plan.
First, a herniated disc can occur suddenly. Imagine picking up something heavy and feeling a shooting pain across your back. That could be a herniated disc. The good news is that with bed rest it’ll probably heal on its own.
However, it can lead to sciatica pain.
Here’s a quick breakdown. You know bones, tendons, nerves, ligaments, and discs make up your spinal column. In fact, there are 23 discs. Those discs act as shock absorbers between the spinal bones protecting them. However, those same discs start to flatten as you get older. They offer less cushion. It’s kind of like a mattress that flattens over the years.
When a disc is pressured — like when you pick up something heavy — it can crack. That’s what’s meant by a herniated disc.
Sciatica, on the other hand, relates to your sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body, and it runs from the base of your skull to your feet. When a disc flattens or cracks, it can press against the sciatic nerve.
Then, you’re likely to feel pain in your buttock and radiate down your leg. Now, you don’t have to have a herniated disc to experience sciatic pain, but it is a common cause.
A medical evaluation should help find the cause.
How Do You Treat Sciatica and a Herniated Disc?
Obviously, the treatment plan will vary from person to person. One’s medical history and the amount of pain they’re in will dictate the level of treatment.
Some will find success with lifestyle changes like adding yoga and massage treatments, while others may find themselves considering surgery. You probably know someone with debilitating pain that impacts their quality of life. Hopefully, they can find relief.
Considering the gamut of possible health conditions and circumstances vary widely, you may find yourself consulting “Dr. Google” as well as friends and family.
There’s nothing wrong with any of those, but it’s also good to consult a qualified chiropractor.
Chiropractic care is a safe and non-invasive form of pain relief. It can also be more cost-effective, and many chiropractors take insurance.
What to Expect From Your First Chiropractic Treatment
At McQuaite Chiropractic in Doylestown, Pa., Dr. Jeff McQuaite meets with you about your medical history and conducts an x-ray to see the state of your internal body.
Those x-rays can show disc problems and other areas where you may feel pain. From there, he’ll recommend a treatment plan of several visits. He may also recommend diet and exercise changes and other modalities such as massage therapy.
How Long Does a Chiropractic Treatment Take?
Most chiropractic treatments are quick. It only takes a few minutes, for your chiropractor can ask you a few questions and make your adjustments. In most cases, you can figure on a 10-15 minute window.
In summary, chiropractic care can often help with sciatica and herniated disc pain. At McQuaite Chiropractic in Doylestown, Pa, we offer non-surgical, non-invasive chiropractic treatments to improve your mobility and reduce pain. Are you ready to feel your best?
According to Harvard Medical School, roughly 40% of people experience sciatic pain in their lives. Like many aches and pains, it can worsen as you get older. You might feel pain when part of the nerve is pinched, you have a herniated disc, other irritation.
Sciatica affects different people in different ways.
Some people feel it in one or both of their legs. Others feel it in their lower back. You might feel a tingling sensation, feel numb, or have a throbbing pain that makes it painful to stand and live your life. If you know you have sciatica, then you want to find pain relief and you might wonder if a chiropractor for sciatica can help.
How a Chiropractor Helps Sciatica in Bucks County, Pa.
Chiropractic care can help relieve painful sciatica safely and gently without surgery. As you may know, chiropractic treatments offer natural pain relief so you can feel better and get on with your life.
First, of course, we want to make sure you do have sciatica. When you visit our office, we’ll discuss your medical history and take an x-ray to assess your spinal health.
Then, we’ll make a recommendation that fits your condition. In addition to chiropractic treatments, we may also recommend massage therapy, hot and cold therapy, ultrasound, or even spinal decompression.
Massage therapy works well in conjunction with chiropractic adjustments because it loosens up the muscles and releases endorphins. Endorphins are your body’s natural painkillers. The combination is terrific for helping your body heal.
Additionally, since chiropractic adjustments basically “put things back” where they’re supposed to be massage therapy is helpful because those looser muscles are more accepting of the adjustment.
You may know, the chiropractic adjustment releases trapped nerves and align your spinal cord, vertebrae discs, and ligaments. Designed to improve your mobility, chiropractic care uses gentle pressure and spinal manipulation so you can feel better and your body can heal.
In some cases, we’ll recommend other therapies too. In our Doylestown, Pa., office we have many tools to help you relieve sciatic pain. For example, many of our patients like the TENS machine (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation). It stimulates the nerves and reduces muscle spasms and pain. We also regularly use ultrasound therapy to relax tight muscles.
Spinal Decompression May Help As you age, your spinal discs can become thinner and drier. Sometimes, that means your spine compresses. Chiropractors have specific techniques designed to lengthen your spine which relieves nerve compression.
Lifestyle Changes Will Also Help Chiropractors can help with sciatica pain relief in both the short and long term. We can also help you make modifications in your life that will also help. That may mean changing the way you sit or sleep and getting more exercise.
Living a sedentary lifestyle makes sciatica worse. You can embark on a walking program to improve your health and also yoga stretches will help your sciatica. You’ll also want to strengthen your core because a strong core helps support your back which can help with pain relief. Ultimately, yes, a chiropractor for sciatica may be able to help you. If you’re tired of suffering with sciatic pain, please contact McQuaite Chiropractic at 267-247-7000 for a consultation.
If you suffer from sciatica, you may wonder if chiropractic therapy can help you find relief. After all, chiropractors can help relieve all types of body aches, why not sciatic pain?
Sciatica, as you may know, starts in your low back and shoots into one or both of your legs. However, the pain isn’t the same for everyone.
Some people with sciatica feel sharp, debilitating pain while for others, it can be more moderate. No matter how it occurs for you, you’ll want to relieve the pain.
In this post, you’ll discover that sciatica is actually a symptom of an underlying problem and how chiropractic therapy can help your sciatica pain.
What Is the Sciatic Nerve?
If you suffer from sciatica pain, you probably know about the sciatic nerve. This is the longest nerve in the body. It starts in the lower back, splits, and runs down each leg into the foot. Its function is to continue the spinal connection from the back into the legs and feet.
If you have a sciatic disorder – causing you pain – it can be because of misaligned vertebrae, herniated discs, pregnancy or even health problems like diabetes.
What Causes Sciatica?
Many people think sciatica is the problem when it’s actually a symptom. In truth, sciatica is nerve compression.
What causes nerve compression you ask? Good question.
Often, it’s caused by a jarring to the body. Have you slipped and fallen? If so, that causes trauma to your body. But also, arthritis in your hip can cause sciatic pain. If you’re experiencing spasms or numbness in your leg/foot, that may be a symptom of sciatica.
How Can Chiropractic Therapy Improve Sciatica?
Chiropractic treatment for sciatica is a way to help your body heal itself.
In addition to a chiropractic adjustment, your chiropractor may recommend ice/heat therapy, ultrasound, and TENS therapy. The classic ice packs combined with heat reduces inflammation and pain and you can do this at home while watching Netflix.
Ultrasound therapy uses a machine to create heat and sound waves throughout your body. It stimulates circulation and reduces swelling while the TENS unit sends electricity through your body. It also stimulates circulation and provides pain relief.
Before chiropractic therapy can help your sciatica, it’s essential to make sure to have a proper diagnosis. Here at McQuaite Chiropractic, we review your medical history and take an x-ray before we create a treatment plan.
How Fast Does it Work?
Many people find immediate relief after a chiropractic adjustment. The quick hands-on manipulation of the spine takes the pressure off the sciatic nerve so you find relief.
Of course, it takes more than one chiropractic treatment for long-term healing. Your chiropractic will work out a customized treatment plan that’s right for your situation.
Do you want to find out if chiropractic treatment is right for your sciatica? We offer free consultations at our Doylestown office.
According to the Mayo Clinic, sciatica affects nearly 3 million Americans. If you’re one of them, you’re familiar with the pain that starts in your lower back and radiates down one of your legs and boy does it hurt!
You also probably know that long periods of sitting can trigger the pain and tingling sensations. That’s because sciatica is usually related to a compression of the sciatic nerve in the spine due to a herniated disc or bone spur. As you can imagine, if you have a herniated disc in your lower spine and it’s pressing on your sciatic nerve, the sitting position could be painful.
The good news is that you can treat sciatica without invasive surgery. Many people find relief within a few visits to the chiropractor.
Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatica
In Doylestown, PA, Dr. Jeff McQuaite x-rays problem areas for all new patients. This lets him see what’s going on in your body so he can better prescribe a treatment plan that works for you. He also reviews your medical history. After all, if you really have arthritis in the spine, that requires a different approach than a herniated disc.
You may realize chiropractic care is a series of micro adjustments that re aligns your spinal column to reduce pressure on adjoining tissue and nerves that become compressed when vertebrae get out of alignment.
The primary way a chiropractic treatment for sciatica works is through a series of spinal manipulations which re aligns your vertebrae and takes the pressure off any nerves. When you have bones or muscles that are out of alignment, they’re typically resting on a nerve or “pinching” it causing pain.
Not only is it painful, your body has developed this new posture. The chiropractic adjustment “puts everything back” into proper alignment so nothing is “pinching” your nerve. That’s why so many people find relief after their chiropractic visit.
As you may know, chiropractic treatments reduce inflammation which both reduces your pain as well as helps your body heal faster.
You may find combining chiropractic care with massage therapy helps because while your chiropractor realigns your bones and tendons, massage realigns your muscles. The two work in tandem to help your body stay in alignment rather than in pain.
If you’re ready to try chiropractic treatments for sciatic pain and you’re in the Doylestown area, why not give us a try? You deserve to feel better!
According to webmd.com, sciatic nerve pain will affect roughly 40% of the population. It’s not that surprising since the sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It runs the length of the spine, through the pelvis and into the leg so there is plenty of opportunity to pinch something, strain something or otherwise hurt yourself. Sciatic nerve pain can be debilitating and can send you hobbling to your bed, you’ll want to get to the bottom of it so you can be healed. If you’ve been suffering with sciatic nerve pain for awhile and your doctor recommends surgery, here are a few options you may try beforehand. Physical Therapy – an experienced physical therapist will show you certain exercises to help relieve back pain. Lying on your back on the floor with your knees to your chest and your arms around your legs can reduce pressure on your spine so you feel better. Acupuncture—this Traditional Chinese Medicine approach inserts tiny needles at different points in your body to release blockages. You rest on a massage table for 15 or 30 minutes with the needles in you (you don’t feel them once they’re inserted). This changes the energy flow in your body and can help relieve pain. Chiropractic Care – Sitting, walking and even sleeping can whack our body out of alignment due to the habits we pick up. Chiropractors adjust your spinal column to realign it with your body. This can reduce pressure on pinched nerves or discs and put them back to where they need to be so you feel good again. Massage – Massage therapy doesn’t only feel good in the moment, but it has positive long term effects. When you combine it with chiropractic care, massage helps your muscles maintain the correct alignment of your bones. Yoga – Gentle yoga can be helpful for reducing back pain. You may be able to find a teacher who specializes in yoga for sciatica and other back pain, to find them, ask around. Alternatively, if you want to become a registered yoga teacher yourself but don’t know where or how to start, go to https://www.siddhiyoga.com for more information. If you’re dealing with sciatic nerve pain in Bucks County, Pa. Dr. Jeff McQuaite offers a comprehensive approach to healing. He starts with a full set of xrays and will go over them with you to determine a treatment plan that’s right for you. See the new patient offer here.
Dr. Jeff McQuaite
McQuaite Chiropractic
295 Logan Street
Doylestown, Pa. 18901 267-247-7000
Office Hours
Mon: 8:30 am – 12 pm, 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Tues: 10 am – 1 pm, 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Weds: 8:30 am – 12 pm, 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Thurs: 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Fri: 8:30 am – 2 pm
Sat: 8:00 am – 10 am
