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Medication For Sciatica and Natural Chiropractic Medicine

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The use of prescription medication for sciatica is being discouraged while natural treatments/therapies are becoming the new standard. This is currently happening in the United Kingdom and its National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The focus is to reduce the use of medication for sciatica and aim for natural treatments unless absolutely necessary. This is to help reduce the opioid epidemic, along with reducing the use of medications and their negative side effects that cause other conditions and illnesses.

11860 Vista Del Sol, Ste. 128 Medication For Sciatica and Natural Chiropractic Medicine

The National Institute for Health Care Excellence has updated its guidelines with specific language that discourages the use of multiple classes of drugs for various ailments/conditions like sciatica. The United States has already set up similar guidelines limiting the use of prescription medications for sciatica until after a regimen of non-pharmacological treatment/therapies like physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, etc. If no improvement is seen in four to six months then medication can be administered.

The guidelines say that individuals with acute or chronic sciatica should not be given gabapentinoids, this is a class of drugs designed to treat seizures, other antiepileptics, oral corticosteroids, and opioids. They also report that there is no evidence on the use of antidepressants for sciatica. However, it is recognized that it can benefit some individuals but should not just be handed out for every case.

Medication for Sciatica

Medication does work for sciatica. It’s the side effects and addiction issues the are trying to be avoided. Options include:

  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Gabapentinoids
  • Corticosteroids
  • Benzodiazepines

Opioids have been overprescribed for all types of pain. However, they don’t help in repairing the damaged/pinched nerves and only relieve/sedate the pain symptoms. In addition side effects like confusion, dizziness, and sleep problems are increased leading to more health issues.

Treatment Options

When it comes to acute pain over the counter medications, NSAIDs, oral steroids, and gabapenitoids can be recommended for a brief period and not long term. This is just to settle the pain until a non-medication treatment plan is developed to realign, adjust, and restore the sciatic nerve to its proper position. A physician or physical therapist/chiropractor can diagnose the difference between actual sciatica and low back pain.

11860 Vista Del Sol, Ste. 128 Medication For Sciatica and Natural Chiropractic Medicine

Physical Therapy and Chiropractic

Chiropractic treatment and physical therapy for sciatica first look to determine the cause of the condition and how the individual spends their day as far as do they sit or stand for a good portion of the day along with the types of activities like lifting, bending, stretching, twisting, etc.

The nerves are irritated and send signals to the brain. This could be tingling with pain, numbness, or a combination. The body wants to protect itself. Once the source of irritation is identified the chiropractor or physical therapist works with the patient to workout/massage/release the muscles, ligaments, joints to work the sciatic nerve back to full health and function.

The chiropractor/therapist challenges the nerve to get back into proper form in a safe fashion. How the condition resolves depends if it’s acute or chronic. In acute cases, the pain level is higher but is easier to treat. The faster chiropractic and physical therapy intervention are sought out the better the odds additional treatment will not be required. The first sessions of chiropractic and physical therapy are designed to calm the system down. Then the body will begin to heal itself within about four weeks without medication.

Conservative Therapy

Preference for non-surgical treatment is the way to go whenever possible. Only when significant weakness in the leg or foot from nerve compression, surgery could be necessary. It can become an emergency situation if there is numbness around the groin and if it affects bowel or bladder function. Six to eight weeks of conservative treatment is the key. And if no improvement correlated with an MRI is achieved, then surgical treatment could be the next phase of treatment.

Sciatica Pain Therapy

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The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, and sensitive health issues and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support directly or indirectly our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation as to how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900. The provider(s) Licensed in Texas& New Mexico*

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Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Medication For Sciatica and Natural Chiropractic Medicine" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182

Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
License Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*
Presently Matriculated: ICHS: MSN* FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
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