Healing Sciatic Nerve Pain with Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture
Support for Acupuncture in Healing Sciatica
Leading national and international organizations, including the WHO and the FDA, recognize the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating sciatic pain, among the plethora of other complaints such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, back pain, migraines, stress, fatigue, allergies, bloating, dizziness, smoking cessation, thyroid disorders immune and digestive issues etc. Please see the link in the Acupuncture section of drloopomd.com for a complete listing and more information.
Why is Acupuncture effective in treating Sciatica?
Acupuncture is one of the safest and most effective treatments for sciatica. It does not harbor the side effects often attributed to drugs or standard treatments and the results are often longer lasting as well. Chronic sciatica might take a longer time to address depending on the underlying complicating factors like bone spurs, degenerative disc disease, or some other obstructive process. Receiving acupuncture releases natural endorphins and opioids that further assist in the relief of pain and the prescription administered by a Dr. of Acupuncture treats the whole person as well as providing symptomatic relief from sciatic nerve pain.
What is sciatic nerve pain?
Sciatica is often defined as pain, weakness, numbness or tingling that radiates down the leg, often to the knee or foot traveling along the location of one’s sciatic nerve. Pain is often felt in the low back and buttocks region in addition to the sides or back of the posterior thigh. True sciatic pain is often attributed to a lesion, herniated disc, or other impediment that impinges on the sciatic nerve and causes the pain.
Other factors to consider in healing Sciatic Nerve Pain
Furthermore, the piriformis muscle or adjacent muscles in the lower back and buttocks regions can compress the nerve and mimic what is referred to as “true sciatic pain.” In my experience, this latter situation, called Piriformis compression syndrome, is often a major contributing factor for eliciting the classic sciatic-type pain. In addition, latent virus or other pathogens can often hide or attach to nerve or muscle tissue and cause this type of pain in certain circumstances. Other patterns can be implicated as well including mental and emotional causes or toxic overload such as chemical or radiation poisoning etc.
How to Treat Sciatic Nerve Pain with Chinese medicine & Acupuncture
The approach and length of treatment depends on the differential diagnosis in Chinese medicine, and this will determine how to address the current pain as well as the root cause of the complaint. Chinese medicine uses a pattern and systems approach to diagnose and treat the symptoms and the root cause by also looking at the unique constitution of the individual. This intricate understanding of various vantage points to view and assess patterns according to the underlying theories, principle and tenets of Chinese medicine has endured over the millennia and makes it relevant even today notwithstanding advances in western medicine and pharmacology.
How Dr Loop OMD can help treat sciatic pain
As a Licensed Acupuncturist, Massage Therapist and Board-Certified Herbalist, Dr Loop OMD is qualified to diagnose according to the principles of Chinese medicine and provide treatment of sciatica using acupuncture, massage, herbs, qigong, and other adjunct therapies to restore balance and harmony back to your system. He has been treating pain complaints for over 20 years and looks forward to answering any more specific questions you may have.
