Your sciatic nerve is the longest and largest spinal nerve in the human body. It runs through your lower back (lumbar), buttocks, and down each thigh and affects your entire lower body. When a patient is suffering from sciatica, they are usually experiencing quite a bit of dull, nagging pain that can turn into shooting pain very quickly.

The pain is due a pinched nerve from a herniated disc in most cases. The herniation causes inflammation which is read by the patient as pain. Generally sciatic pain radiates throughout the sciatic nerve, but can also cause pain to the lower legs and feet.

Our doctors are well-versed in the holistic management and treatment of sciatic pain and sciatica. Spinal adjustments are implemented in order to repair the misalignment and remove pressure to the sciatic nerve.

Our spinal manipulations are hands-on treatments that allow the back to heal naturally and often provide immediate sciatica pain relief. Some of our treatment plans may include the following:

• Active Release Technique (ART): This technique uses applied active pressure to the back, targeting the back as a whole rather than each isolated joint separately; the motion removes the adhesions found in the back that are causing the patient’s pain. 
• Diversified Chiropractic Technique (DCT): The DCT method is done by hand and offers a controlled thrust to the restricted joints, one at a time. This technique helps the patient regain their proper range of motion.
• Motion Palpation Technique: While the patient is moving their affected joints, we will apply subtle pressure to each joint using our fingers and hands in order to feel how they are functioning.
• Flexion Distraction Technique: This technique has the patient lie on a table. When the doctor applies gentle thrusts to specific joints, that specific part of the table will slightly drop, allowing gravity to aid in the spine’s correct repositioning.  
• Activator Technique: The Activator Adjusting Instrument is used on the patient’s spine, providing small, safe pulses to targeted areas for the purposes of spinal correction and to relieve pain. 
• Functional Rehabilitation: Combining treatments with rehabilitation is a big win for our patients.  We focus on corrective exercises that teach the body to work as it’s meant to.
• Class IV Laser Therapy: Laser therapy allows deep tissue penetration, alleviating pain and inflammation. This treatment is entirely safe and effective and lasts from a few to 10 minutes.  
• Movement Screen / Biomechanical Analysis: Movement screening allows us to view how the body is moving and how motion affects the patient’s movement.  This can explain why some injuries occur, helping us fix the cause instead of only focusing on the symptoms of an injury.
• Exercise Recovery: Our Greenville team offers exercise recovery tools that speed up recovery time between workouts, improve performance, and contribute to pain reduction.  Dr. Nelson uses a Marc Pro device which provides muscle stimulation and in turn, enhances active recovery.
• Take-Home Rehabilitation: We want our patients to head home fully armed to take a healthy and proactive approach to their recovery.  Offering education on how to exercise and stretch properly gives the patient a core element of their health plan and helps them achieve overall balance, strength, and wellness.

Our staff will ensure that patients feel safe, secure, and comfortable with their wellness treatment plan and goals. Having a well-balanced body doesn’t require surgery; seeing Dr. Nelson is a smart, non-invasive, risk-free way to gain and maintain a healthy body, mind, and soul.