Let’s talk about sciatica (radiating back pain that starts at the lower back and goes down, typically, just one leg). It’s a very common problem that Chinese medicine is uncommonly suited to treat.
What is Sciatica?
The sciatic nerve is one of the main motor and sensory nerves that start at the lower back and come down the back of the leg. Symptoms of sciatica are caused whenever there is an impingement or squeezing of the nerve.
What Squeezes the Sciatic Nerve?
The most common cause of sciatica is herniated spinal disc, which pops out and presses the nerve. But there are other causes:
- A vertebra could be a little out of joint.
- The hole that the nerves come out of might be narrowed and that’s pressing in the nerve (called spinal stenosis).
- Any muscles between start and the end of the nerve that are inflamed.
What Can Chinese Medicine Do For Sciatica?
Acupuncture is really good at unlocking muscles, breaking fascial adhesions, getting things to move, clearing fluids, and reducing inflammation.
There’s a lot of good herbs with anti-inflammatory properties, good for the pain and the swelling.
And there are a lot of good medical Qigong routines – stretches and movements to help get things flowing in the right way.
Interested in finding out more? Contact us today!
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Article Sources:
The Efficacy of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Sciatica: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Research Progress of Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Sciatica, Academic Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences
Integrated traditional Chinese medicine alleviates sciatica while regulating gene expression in peripheral blood, Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research
