Sciatica Treatment in Columbus, OH
Sciatica has become more common in the last 20 years as lifestyles have become more sedentary and manual labor has become more repetitive and tedious.
Sciatica is the compression of the sciatic nerve – the largest and longest nerve in the body. It originates in the lower lumbar and upper sacral regions of the spine and extends through the glutes and down the back of each leg, facilitating movement and sensation in the lower extremities. Irritation of this nerve results in shooting pain that starts in your lower back and runs down your leg. This sharp, electric-like pain can make it difficult to sit, stand, or even sleep comfortably. Some people feel numbness or tingling, while others experience muscle weakness that makes daily activities a challenge.
Sciatica is not a condition. It’s a symptom of something bigger, a sign that something deeper is going on—like a herniated disc pressing on your nerve, spinal misalignment, or even muscle imbalances pulling your spine out of position.
Typically, most medical doctors will sell you pain medication to treat the pain and may also prescribe muscle relaxers that help treat the symptoms. In some cases, you might get a recommendation for physical therapy, and if the problem persists, steroid injections or even surgery might be on the table. While these treatments may temporarily reduce pain, they don’t correct the underlying issue. If a nerve is being compressed due to a spinal misalignment, a disc problem, or an unstable structure, numbing the pain won’t make the problem go away—it just gives it time to get worse.
At Restore Family Chiropractic, we take a different approach. Instead of just treating symptoms, we focus on correcting spinal misalignments and restoring proper nerve function. Sciatica is almost always a result of pressure on the nerve—whether from a herniated disc, misaligned vertebrae, or inflammation in the surrounding tissues. Chiropractic adjustments restore proper alignment to relieve that pressure naturally, without drugs or surgery. In addition to adjustments, we incorporate spinal decompression, muscle re-education, and corrective exercises to strengthen and stabilize the spine, ensuring long-term relief. The question isn’t whether chiropractic is a better option—it’s whether you want to fix the problem or just cover it up.
$70 New Patient Special Offer
Includes New Patient Consultation, Comprehensive Examination, Full Report of Findings.
How Our Sciatica Care Plan Works
Schedule Your New Patient Exam
Set up a time so you and your Doctor can do a thorough history and examination to determine the root cause of your pain.
Get A Customized Plan of Action
Your Doctor will create a custom plan of attack to not only get you out of pain fast but to keep you out of pain long term.
Live A Pain Free Energetic Life
Receive the care you need for your problem so you can get back to the time when pain wasn’t dictating what you could do.
How We Treat Sciatica in Columbus, OH
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
We know that nervous system inflammation causes sciatic pain, so your first line of defense should be a doctor specializing in the nervous system. We care about your spine because it protects your nervous system.
At your first exam, we will address the root cause of your complaint and create a plan that honors your body’s natural design for health. This will include getting a thorough health history, a physical exam based on your chief complaint, and, typically, some X-rays.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Columbus, OH
On your second visit, you will receive a diagnostic adjustment, some post-adjustment therapies, and likely more tests to see how your body responds to the adjustment. No two spines are the same, and no two spines respond to adjustments the same way, so this is an essential step in creating a plan.
Once we’ve identified a plan, our therapies help you get the most out of your adjustments for better results faster. If you’ve been Googling what to do for sciatica, you’ve probably come across various stretches or physical therapy you can do at home. These will only get you so far. We customize a plan to help your muscles support your chiropractic adjustments, which will be greater than any DIY process you’ve found.
That’s why chiropractic care is the best medicine for sciatic pain. It’s a customized plan designed for your spine and not someone else, drug-free, surgery-free, and with a decades-long proven track record.
Common Causes of Sciatica in Columbus, OH
Sciatica happens when something irritates or compresses the sciatic nerve, causing pain that can radiate from your lower back down your leg. The most common culprits are herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and spinal misalignments (subluxations). Each condition disrupts normal nerve function, leading to pain, numbness, or weakness that can make even simple movements unbearable.
Herniated Lumbar Discs
Between each of your vertebrae is a soft, cushion-like structure called a disc. Spinal discs absorb shock and allow flexibility so that you can move freely. They are comprised of a rigid, fibrous exterior and a gel-like interior.
A disc bulge occurs when the outer layer weakens, allowing the inner gel-like center to push outward, causing the disc to literally bulge. A bulged disc puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, triggering pain down the leg.
A herniated disc is more severe than a disk bulge. In this case, the outer layer tears, and the inner gel leaks out, irritating nearby nerves, especially the sciatic nerve. This often leads to more intense pain. Chiropractic adjustments restore proper spinal alignment, which allows the disc to return to its proper alignment and structure.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative Disc Disease isn’t actually a disease—it’s the natural wear and tear of your spinal discs over time. As discs lose hydration and flexibility due to age, repetitive stress, poor posture, or injury, they shrink, reducing the space between vertebrae and increasing pressure on nerves. As the discs degenerate, you may experience chronic pain, stiffness, and increased risk of herniation. At our clinic, we use chiropractic care to maintain spinal mobility, along with targeted exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles and slow the degenerative process.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis occurs when the spaces within your spine narrow, putting pressure on nerves.
This often affects older adults and can result in pain, weakness, and difficulty walking. Stenosis symptoms can worsen when standing or walking for long periods but may improve when sitting or bending forward. Treatment includes spinal adjustments, decompression therapy, and corrective exercises to reduce pressure and improve mobility.
Subluxation
Subluxation is the cause of many sources of nerve irritation.
A subluxation is a misalignment in the spine that interferes with nerve function and is the cause of many sources of nerve irritation. When vertebrae shift out of place, they compress nerves, restrict movement, and contribute to sciatic pain.
A good chiropractor corrects subluxations through precise adjustments, restoring nerve flow and reducing pain. Unlike medication that masks symptoms, chiropractic care gets to the root cause, making us the best option for long-term spinal health.
Sciatica isn’t something you have to live with. At Restore Family Chiropractic, we take a customized approach to care—identifying the root cause of your pain and creating a plan that includes precise chiropractic adjustments, spinal decompression, and corrective exercises. Instead of masking the pain, we focus on restoring proper alignment and nerve function so your body can heal naturally.
Sciatica isn’t just about pain—it’s about restoring your body’s ability to move and function without limitations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I see a doctor or a chiropractor about Sciatica?
The short answer is yes. You should see a doctor…of chiropractic. Because sciatica is a symptom of nerve irritation in the lower back caused by subluxation, your first line of defense would be someone specializing in spinal alignment.
What can I do to relieve my sciatica pain in Columbus, OH?
This is an important question, but often the wrong one, because many solutions provide temporary pain relief that actually worsens the issue. Most stretches, heat, cold, or massages can cause worse problems because they interact with the tissue around the sciatic nerve. Pain medication can interrupt the body’s natural healing mechanisms. The only true way to help sciatic pain is to kick it to the curb forever by fixing structural misalignments.
What is the best treatment for sciatica?
The best treatment for sciatica is any treatment that gets to the root cause of the condition without creating more problems. Drugs can be expensive, come with side effects, and never actually treat sciatica. Surgery can be expensive and have poor results. Any local corner shop chiropractor is better than these options, but the best option is someone who will partner with you by customizing chiropractic care to best support your body’s own mechanisms.
How long does sciatica last?
There’s no simple answer here. The symptoms can be here for days or months, but the impingement on the sciatic nerve can last years, causing symptoms to return more quickly and more fiercely with each round.
Can stretching make sciatica worse?
Stretching can aggravate sciatica if it aggravates an already irritated nerve, especially if the stretch is too aggressive or performed incorrectly. Certain stretches, like deep forward bends or excessive hamstring stretching, can increase nerve compression or pull on an inflamed nerve, worsening pain instead of providing relief.
What is better for sciatica: acupuncture or a chiropractor?
Acupuncture can be an effective natural treatment and is an important modality for many physical conditions. However, it’s important to note that acupuncture works in conjunction with chiropractic. It doesn’t replace it.
Supporting Research for Chiropractic and Sciatica
Whenever possible, opt for conservative treatments over more invasive and drastic measures, such as surgery. Chiropractic care and adjustments are a viable option for treating the pain and symptoms associated with sciatic nerve issues. A 2006 study published in Spine found that manipulations (adjustments) helped relieve pain due to acute back pain and sciatica. Another study published in 2010 found that sixty percent of sciatica patients (who hadn’t found relief from other therapies) experienced the same level of relief from chiropractic adjustments as patients who eventually had surgery.
$70 New Patient Special Offer
Includes New Patient Consultation, Comprehensive Examination, Full Report of Findings.