What is sciatica?

 40% of people will suffer with sciatica in their lifetime, but how can you avoid being one of them?

Sciatica is a term many people are familiar with as up to 40% of people will experience it in their lifetime. According to the National Institute for Health and Excellence.

What exactly is sciatica, what causes it and how can you prevent becoming one of them?

Sciatica is a name given to pain associated with irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is a large bundle of nerves that travels from your lower back and sacrum down the back of your leg.

Sciatica has a collection of symptoms that differ depending on your individual presentation.

Sciatica symptoms

Typically, the pain associated with Sciatica is a sharp shooting or burning pain that travels down one leg anywhere from your buttock to your foot, it is commonly combined with other symptoms such as:

 Lower back pain

 Pins and needles and numbness

 Muscle weakness

Is Piriformis syndrome the same as Sciatica?

Piriformis syndrome is a condition that may cause sciatica. Sciatica is due to compression by a herniated disc causing lumbar radiculopathy. Piriformis syndrome is a condition that causes sciatica nerve symptoms due to compression of the sciatic nerve around the buttock and the hip.

When Sciatica is an emergency?

In rare cases Sciatica can be a sign of something worse, if you experience any of the following symptoms it is important to go to the nearest hospital or call 911:

 You have sciatica in both legs

 You have a weakness or numbness in both legs that is severe and getting worse

 You have any numbness in or around your genitals and anus

 Your bowel or bladder habits are difficult to control, have increased in urgency or feel (and this is not normal for you)

What causes sciatica?

Sciatica is caused by a compression to the sciatic nerve somewhere along its pathway from the lumbar spine to the leg.

A chiropractor or medical professional can help you identify the cause of your sciatica.

According to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about 90% of cases come from a herniated disc (“slipped disk”) in your lower lumbar spine.

However, soft tissue, and other joint injuries can also create inflammation around the nerve along its pathway, irritating the nerve.

Who’s at risk?

Sciatica can affect anyone of any age group, but peak presentation is in the 5th decade; other risk factors are strenuous high activity lifestyle, for example:

 Frequent bending, heavy lifting or twisting

 Jogging/running and impact activities

 Whole body vibrations. Like operating machinery or long periods of driving.

Sedentary lifestyles can also contribute to developing back problems and associated symptoms as well as general health, obesity and smoking.

What can you do to relieve sciatic pain?

Sciatica can be self-resolving in 4-6 weeks but this is often aided by lots of painkillers to moderate the pain. Patients usually don’t want to rely on painkillers and want to find an alternative, or more natural ways to get better.

Symptoms vary from patient to patient, so Chiropractic treatment is designed for the individual's unique history and current symptoms. However, the overall goals of treatment are to lessen nerve irritation symptoms by correcting spinal misalignments, improve the health with home care exercises/stretches, and advise any lifestyle changes to enhance the healing process.

Tips to try:

 Regular Chiropractic care to keeps our bodies in motion.

 Our body’s like to move, try to stay active and avoid long periods of rest as this has been shown to increase pain.

 Carry on with your normal activities as much as possible.

 Gentle exercises and stretches of your legs and back advised accordingly by your Chiropractor, start gradually and stop if you feel increased pain.

 Massaging out tight muscles can also help take pressure off and reduce pain.

We can help

If you are concerned about your back or sciatic pain, and would like an expert opinion, please contact Family First Chiropractic (403) 347-3261, www.family1stchiro.ca

Dr .Elton Clemence

Family First Chiropractic

Spinal Adjustment and Addiction Treatment

A Specific Spinal Adjustment is the Latest Development in the Science of Treating Drug Addiction

SOURCE Dr. Russell Surasky

Triple board certified neurologist Dr. Russell Surasky is pioneering this procedure at a New York Based Treatment Center.

GREAT NECK, N.J., Oct. 14, 2019  

A chiropractic college and a long-established outpatient addiction treatment program have entered a unique partnership to offer spinal adjustments for reducing pain and improving brain/nervous system function in patients recovering from drug and alcohol dependency – an approach some experts are calling a "major leap forward" in the science of addictive care, says neurologist and addiction medicine specialist Dr. Russell Surasky. 

The pioneering agreement between New York Chiropractic College and the multi-center, New York-based Bridge Back to Life will provide a specific form of spinal adjustments in addition to cutting edge medications to help their patients heal from addiction. "Clinical research findings have shown that patients in treatment from addiction who receive certain types of spinal adjustments have higher rates of recovery than those who undergo only standard addiction therapies" says Dr. Russell Surasky, who serves as medical director of Bridge Back to Life.

"I truly believe that this agreement with the College will serve as a national model for drug rehabilitation centers throughout the country," Dr. Surasky concludes. "Not only can spinal adjustments reduce the chronic pain issues that may have led patients into drug addiction in the first place, but now we also have evidence that spinal adjustments actually accelerates the healing of the brain from addiction."

Dr. Surasky refers specifically to a study, published in the prestigious journal Nature, which shows that chemically dependent patients who received specific spinal adjustments as part of their treatment in recovery reported "less drug cravings and fewer mental health symptoms," Dr. Surasky notes. "Most significantly, 100 percent of the study patients who received chiropractic care completed the inpatient program, while about half of those who did not receive spinal adjustments dropped out prior to completion."

One of the most important indicators for a patient's success in recovery is the ability to remain in treatment, Dr. Surasky emphasizes. "A 100% retention rate in an addiction treatment program is, frankly, unprecedented."

The neurological pathways involved in addiction are complex and still not completely understood, but research and clinical experience indicate that it is the brains limbic system which becomes hijacked by drugs such as opiates and alcohol. The limbic system is an area of the brain that is located near the brainstem but also extends into the upper cervical spine. "The limbic system has widespread connections throughout the brain and is the most powerful driver of human behavior. The limbic system of the brain is precisely the region that gets hijacked by drugs of abuse, thereby perpetuating patients' cravings to keep using these drugs," Dr. Surasky explains.

The atlas bone (C1) at the top of the neck is what protects the limbic system and brain stem. When this Atlas bone of the neck is out of alignment it can have far reaching effects on the function of the brain and its limbic system. Safe, painless adjustments to the upper cervical spinal bones can help normalize the brain's limbic system.

According to Dr. Surasky "Cutting Edge Research done by Dr. Raymond Damadian (inventor of the MRI machine) has show that misalignments at the top of the neck cause disruptions in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid." The brain is bathed in cerebrospinal fluid (csf) and the brain depends on CSF to carry away the iron deposition that builds up from normal brain metabolism. If a misalignment exists at the junction between the Atlas bone (C1) and the skull this could hinder the drainage of CSF. 

Mounting evidence that "gentle specific spinal adjustments of the upper cervical spine" can help reset and restore normal function to the brain. 

Chiropractic treatment can help so many things. Give us a call to find out how we can help you. 

Dr.Stephen Kelly 

Family First Chiropractic
www.family1stchiro.ca

403-347-3261

CranioSacral Therapy and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that may be experienced by anyone who has undergone a traumatic event. PTSD occurs when the body/mind has not yet recognized that a traumatic event is over. As a result, the body's sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight) is activated and the body responds by continuously mobilizing muscles and other body systems for defense and/or numbing (a freeze response).

CranioSacral therapists have been treating people with PTSD for many years now.  The Upledger Institute has done studies with Vietnam veterans as well as Gulf War Veterans with very positive results. (http://www.upledger.org/programs/ptsd-relief.php).  But it is not only war that can cause PTSD any trauma can leave a lasting effect on the body.  

CranioSacral Therapy is an alternative approach to the treatment of PTSD involving gentle, non-invasive touch that supports the self-correcting ability of the body. Craniosacral Therapy works to support the part of the body that surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord. Craniosacral Therapy acknowledges that emotions can become locked in the body's connective tissues as emotional memories and emotional pain. A CranioSacral therapy approach can help release the energy the body may have retained after a traumatic physical or emotional experience. A Craniosacral Therapy session is deeply relaxing to the body's central nervous system as the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) is activated and balanced. In a parasympathetic state the body decreases production of the stress hormones linked to sleep and digestive problems and a suppressed immune system. It becomes easier for people receiving Craniosacral Therapy to remain more calm and focused.

Jeannette Raskin practices at Family First Chiropractic, 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer, Alberta.  403-347-3261. www.family1stchiro.ca.