College Station Chiropractor Asks "How Long Will You Suffer?"
It started innocently enough. Just a sharp pain in the back, but it went away in an hour or so. The next day, it started up first thing in the morning and lasted all day. You took a few OTC pills that made it feel better. Soon it was gone and forgotten.
Two weeks later, the back pain returned with a vengeance, and now it hurts into your left calf as well. The OTC pills took the edge off, but each day it seemed to get worse.
This is a common scenario. The question is "When do I need to see the doctor?".
I suggest you seek help if the pain:
All of these indicate a potentially serious condition that is not likely to get much better on its own. Proper chiropractic or medical attention is probably needed to keep things from getting worse.
Pain is a signal that there is something wrong. Pain pills help turn off the alarm, but do nothing for the problem.
In the case of sciatica, the nerve going down the leg is pinched. The most likely culprit is a budging spinal disc. The bulge presses against the nerve and causes inflammation and pain.
To fix this problem, the bulge must be moved off the nerve. That can be done using gentle chiropractic adjustment combined with special exercises to reposition the disc material. Often, the relief can be immediate and dramatic.
After the pain subsides, you rally must strengthen the core muscles to stabilize the spine and discs. In your daily activities, you must learn avoid prolonged postures or repeated motions that can cause the disc to move onto the nerve again.
Disc problems require lifelong attention on your part to keep pain from coming back.
Two weeks later, the back pain returned with a vengeance, and now it hurts into your left calf as well. The OTC pills took the edge off, but each day it seemed to get worse.
This is a common scenario. The question is "When do I need to see the doctor?".
I suggest you seek help if the pain:
- lasts longer than 14 days,
- gets suddenly worse,
- steadily increases with time,
- spreads to other parts of your body, or
- nothing seems to make the pain better.
All of these indicate a potentially serious condition that is not likely to get much better on its own. Proper chiropractic or medical attention is probably needed to keep things from getting worse.
Pain is a signal that there is something wrong. Pain pills help turn off the alarm, but do nothing for the problem.
In the case of sciatica, the nerve going down the leg is pinched. The most likely culprit is a budging spinal disc. The bulge presses against the nerve and causes inflammation and pain.
To fix this problem, the bulge must be moved off the nerve. That can be done using gentle chiropractic adjustment combined with special exercises to reposition the disc material. Often, the relief can be immediate and dramatic.
After the pain subsides, you rally must strengthen the core muscles to stabilize the spine and discs. In your daily activities, you must learn avoid prolonged postures or repeated motions that can cause the disc to move onto the nerve again.
Disc problems require lifelong attention on your part to keep pain from coming back.
2/23/2010 12:50:20 PM
Written by David N. Bailey, DC, MPH
A board certified chiropractic orthopedist, I also have training in functional medicine. I also earned a Masters in Public Health from Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health.
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