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Acupuncture for Sciatica
Does acupuncture dry needling help sciatica?
Think you might be suffering from sciatica in San Francisco, CA?
Sciatica is characterized by pain in the lower back that extends through your hips and buttocks and radiates down one or both legs. Pain associated with sciatica can vary widely, ranging from dull and achy to sharp and burning to “pins and needles” or like an electric shock. It may worsen when you cough or sneeze, or when you sit for prolonged periods of time.
Common symptoms of sciatica may consist of
- Low back pain
- Hip pain
- Pain in the buttocks and legs that worsens when sitting
- Burning or tingling sensation down one or both legs
- Weakness or numbness of the leg or foot
- Shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up straight
acupuncture for sciatica in San Francisco
dry needling for sciatica San Francisco
acupuncture for sciatica in San Francisco
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Sciatica is commonly due to compression or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. This can be the result of a number of causes:
- Lumbar disc problems such as disc degeneration and disc herniation, which reduce the cushioning between the
spinal vertebrae
- Spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal
- Fracture of the spinal vertebrae, causing misalignment of the spine
- Pregnancy, which can cause increased pressure and realignment of the hips
Sciatic pain can also be due to tight muscles surrounding the sciatic nerve. When these muscles, such as the piriformis and gluteus minimus, are tight, they can press on the sciatic nerve, and the result is pain that mimics that of sciatica. Because this pain is due to tight muscles and not spinal compression or nerve inflammation, it is often referred to as piriformis syndrome or pseudo-sciatica.
Treatment length for sciatica varies from patient to patient. Some patients respond very quickly to treatment, while others need longer recovery time. Generally, the longer the pain persists, the longer it will take to resolve. However, the good news is that, in many cases, sciatica does not usually require surgery. It can, instead, be successfully treated by treatment options such as dry needling and acupuncture for sciatica.
Acupuncture and dry needling for sciatica treatments help to regulate the nervous system, improve blood circulation, relax tight muscles, and release neurotransmitters to reduce pain.
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