Sciatica – “The problem isn’t in my leg?”

April 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Mechanicsville, Virginia Chiropractor — Sciatica is a term that describes symptoms of pain that are felt in the lower back and buttocks, often radiating down the back of the leg and to the foot.  Many people use the term sciatica incorrectly. Sciatica is a symptom (like itching), it is not a diagnosis (like Parkinson’s disease). Sciatica can range from an occasional nuisance to excruciating pain that makes walking near impossible. There can be multiple underlying reasons for your sciatic nerve pain. A chiropractor can help find the root cause of the problem with an exam and may also order some diagnostic imaging such as an x-ray, MRI or CT scan to examine the underlying structures.

It has several causes.  An unhealthy spine with a bulging disc can irritate the sciatic nerve.  This nerve runs from your spinal chord to your buttocks and hip area, then down the back of each leg, thus sciatica can also be felt as weakness, tingling, and numbness in the leg. It is more frequently found in people over the age of 30 due to subluxations and the wear and tear they cause on the lower spine that the body to experience after subluxations have been around for more than a few years.

The medical approach to sciatica is usually symptom management with pain medication, anti-inflamatories, and  muscle relaxers.  Sometimes relief can be found with injecting pain killers directly into the nerve roots!  Surgery is also an option.  Fortunately surgeons are not quick to recommend it, due to the possible complications and risks. The reality is five years after surgery, many people do not have resolution of sciatica.

Treatment and symptoms also vary from patient to patient. Because of the individualized nature of the causes of sciatica, a series of different exams and tests are typically performed to locate the cause of your pain and an individual plan for your relief developed.

In many cases the back pain you are experiencing from sciatica will improve or even go away on its own if you give it at least 3 to 9 months, however, treatment can help offer relief for your pain in much less time.  If you are looking for a drug free, natural approach to pain relief, consider chiropractic care.  Depending on the cause of your back pain, professional advice and care could ease your discomfort and pain.

Give us a call at: 804 559 1100

stoverchiropractic.pc@gmail.com

Stover Chiropractic, P.C.
9097 Atlee Station Road, Suite 118 Mechanicsville, VA, 23116 USA 
 • (804) 559-1100
Filed Under: Chiropractic, Nerve Pain, Sciatica Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Surgery or Chiropractic for Chronic Sciatica Sufferers?

March 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Sciatica is one of the more frequent conditions that will bring people into my office, Stover Chiropractic, P.C.  Pain coming from compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve is called sciatica. Sciatica – which can include pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness – is really a symptom indicating an underlying problem, not a diagnosis in and of itself. This article will explore in detail the findings of a recent controlled study comparing spinal manipulation (chiropractic) and surgery for people whose sciatica did not respond to traditional medical treatment approaches.

The study discussed here was conducted by the National Spine Center in Alberta Canada and published in October of 2010 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics[1]. The 40 study participants all had sciatica lasting over 3 months which had not responded to treatment with pain medications, lifestyle modifications, physical therapy, massage therapy or acupuncture. They had all been referred by their primary care physicians to spinal surgeons who had deemed them appropriate surgery candidates.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Sciatica Tagged With: ,

Sciatica Back Pain Occurs in Mechanicsville

June 4, 2011 By 1 Comment

I am Dr. Tripp Stover, a Chiropractor, and I started Stover Chiropractic, P.C. located in Mechanicsville, VA in 1998.

Upper cervical spinal adjusting, x-ray, and laser therapy are only three of the multiple services Stover Chiropractic, P.C. offers residents of Mechanicsville in an effort to increase overall health and wellness in Mechanicsville.

Back pain can be an unfavorable aspect of life for a number of people living in Mechanicsville. Sciatica is a term that describes symptoms of pain that are felt in the lower back and buttocks, often radiating down the back of the leg and to the foot. If you are experiencing back pain and leg pain in the city of Mechanicsville is it possible your pain is from sciatica.  Though it may be that you only have the shooting leg pain down the back of your leg.  If you have the leg pain in the absence of the low back pain, it is usually a more complicated case.

Generally sciatica is caused by the compression or irritation of the nerve roots that make up what is known as the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs from your spinal chord to your buttocks and hip area, then down the back of each leg, thus sciatica can also be felt as weakness, tingling, and numbness in the leg. It is more frequently found in people over the age of 30 due the wear and tear on the lower spine that the body experiences as it ages.

The conditions that cause sciatica can be varied. Treatment and symptoms also vary from patient to patient. Because of the individualized nature of the causes of sciatica, a series of different exams and tests are typically performed to locate the cause of your pain and an individual plan for your relief developed.

In many cases in Mechanicsville the back pain you are experiencing from sciatica will improve or even go away on its own if you give it at least 3 to 9 months, however, treatment can help offer relief for your back pain in less time. Treatment at your medical doctor may deal with the use of anitinflamitories, pain medication, and a referral to a physical therapist for stretching and exercise. If you are looking for a drug free, natural approach to pain relief, consider chiropractic care.  Depending on the cause of your back pain, professional advice and care could ease your discomfort and pain.

Your qualified chiropractor located in the city of Mechanicsville can provide you with more information regarding sciatica, back pain, and back pain relief.

Just give us a call at: 804 559 1100

stoverchiropractic.pc@gmail.com

Filed Under: Back Pain, Chiropractic, Sciatica

Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in VA

May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Mechanicsville, Virginia — There are many different associations that are concerned with health and wellness. I am a member of The Society Of Chiropractic Orthospinology and you can find out more about The Society Of Chiropractic Orthospinology by visiting their website.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is a national agency that is concerned with scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM describes a branch of alternative health care that some people might not consider or define as ‘conventional medicine.’

Chiropractic care, massage, and acupuncture are all examples of health practices that can fall under the umbrella of CAM and are practiced in VA.

According to the mission statement of NCCAM their three focuses of concern are to explore CAM healing practices in the context of rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and to provide authoritative information to both professionals and the public.

The NCCAM’s focus in regards to VA chiropractic care mirrors these three goals. The agency looks at the overall effectiveness of chiropractic methods, such as spinal manipulations, for back pain, neck pain, headaches, sciatica, etc. They also look at getting more chiropractor’s involved in research, and study the responses and satisfaction levels of people who have received chiropractic care.

We are Stover Chiropractic, P.C. and can perform Grostic technique, which is also known as orthospinology.   This procedure, based on the teachings of Dr. John F. Grostic, involves the correction of the Occipito-Atlanto-Axial misalignment, its influence on the central nervous system and its effect on body balance and integrity. Since its inception over 60 years ago, this upper cervical procedure has helped millions of people overcome countless health problems.  We are concerned with your health and healing. To find out more about us visit our ‘About’ page at http://www.stoverchiropractic.com/about/ or visit our website at www.stoverchiropractic.com.

Filed Under: Back Pain, Chiropractic, Fibromyalgia, Headache, Migraine, Sciatica

Strengthen Your Core – Hip Clamshell Exercise

May 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Mechanicsville, Virginia — Most people these days seem to know it is important to strengthen and maintain a strong core.  (Though not everyone)  Especially when it comes to the health and function of your spine.  At Stover Chiropractic, P.C. I’m often asked by patients with low back pain, sciatica, numbness, tingling, or fibromyalgia, “What can I do at home to help strengthen my back?”  Well there are many movements, activities, and exercises for strengthening the spine (though different than just 10 or 15 years ago–please see my previous post: Ill-Advised Low Back Rehabilitation Recommendations).  But there are some other important muscle groups that are often weak when people have weak spines or cores musculature.  The gluts are critical and often ignored by simple at home routines.

Lately I’ve come to appreciate mikereinold.com.  He is a therapist that gives great information and video for rehab.  In the following video he demonstrates the Hip Clamshell Exercise.  It is so simple and effective at strengthening important muscles in the gluts.  The glut medius for those who are interested!

For those who are reading and want more to do for the back, generally speaking, I’ve copied the following exercises.  The thing I like about these is they pay attention to strengthening the spine through balance and resistance.  These days we understand it is important to rehab the nervous system and the muscles of the spine in order to prevent injury or re-injury.  This comes from: Chiropractic Wellness Center in South Las Vegas, in a blog post from 2/11/11 titled “Low Back Pain and Balance Exercises.”  I hope you find it helpful.

“We’re going to look at ways to improve our balance by learning specific exercises that utilize the parts of our nervous system that regulate balance or, proprioception.  Particularly, our cerebellum (back of the brain that regulates coordination), the vestibular system (the inner ear where the semi-circular canals are located), the ascending tracts in our spinal cord (the “highways” that bring information to the brain from our feet and the rest of our body), and the small “mechano-receptors” located in our joints that pick up our movements as we walk and run and sends that information through our nerves, up the spinal cord tracts to the brain.  Here are some very practical exercises to do, “…for the rest of our lives.” Start with the easy ones!

1.         Easy (Level 1): Standing eyes open/closed – Start with the feet shoulder width apart, look straight ahead to get your balance and then close the eyes and try not to sway counting to 30 by, “…one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, etc.” Repeat this with your feet closer together until they touch each other.  You can make this harder by standing on a pillow or cushion — but don’t start that way!

2.         Medium (Level 2): Lunges – from a similar starting position as #1, step forwards with one leg and squat slightly before returning back to the start position. Repeat this 5x with each foot/leg.  As you progress, you can take a longer stride and/or squat down further with each repetition. You can even hold onto light dumbbells and/or close your eyes to make it more challenging.

3.         Hard (Level 3): Rocker or wobble board exercises – use a platform that rocks back & forth or, wobbles in multiple directions.  Rock back and forth, eyes open and then closed, once you get comfortable on the board.  You can rotate your body on the board, standing straight ahead (12 o’clock) followed by 45 degree angles as you work your way around in a circle at 45 degree increments (12, 1:30, 3, 4:30, 6, 7:30, 9, 10:30 and back to noon). Repeat these eyes open and closed.  The Wii Balance board is a fun way to exercise – check that out as well.”

Don’t be tempted to think these are too easy or that they are not helping the spine.  Give them a try.

Dr. Craig Liebenson, from L.A. Sports and Spine, also has wonderful resources for exercises.  Check them out.

Filed Under: Back Pain, Chiropractic, Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Sciatica, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Chiropractic Adjustments and Low-Level Laser Therapy in the Management of Cervical Facet Dysfunction: A Randomized Controlled Study

April 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

image

image

Here’s a copy of a post at “The Recovery Blog” by Dr. Rick Rosa. At Stover Chiropractic P.C. I’ve used “cold laser” or “low level laser” for nearly two years now. I’ve found it a wonderful help when treating fibromyalgia, tendinitis, sciatica, bursitis, and low back pain to name a few. It isn’t limited to just those health problems, but those are common. Many People haven’t heard about low level laser therapy, so I thought a study would be helpful to have on the blog Which shows the efficacy of cold laser therapy.

Abstract:
Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the short-term effect of chiropractic joint manipulation therapy (CMT) and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on pain and range of motion in the management of cervical facet dysfunction. Methods Sixty ambulatory women between the ages of 18 and 40 years with cervical facet joint pain of more than 30-day duration and normal neurologic examination were randomized to receive 1 of 3 treatment options: (1) CMT of the cervical spine, (2) LLLT applied to the cervical facet joints, or (3) a combination of CMT and LLLT. Each participant received 6 treatments in 3 weeks.

The main outcome measures were as follows: the Numerical Pain Rating Scale, Neck Disability Index, Cervical Range of Motion Instrument, and Baseline Digital Inclinometer. Measurements were taken during weeks 1 (baseline), 2, 3, and 4. Results No differences existed between the 3 groups at baseline. A significant difference was seen between groups 1 (CMT) and 2 (LLLT) for cervical flexion, between groups 1 (CMT) and 3 (CMT + LLLT) for cervical flexion and rotation, and between groups 2 (LLLT) and 3 (CMT + LLLT) for pain disability in everyday life, lateral flexion, and rotation.

Conclusion:
All 3 groups showed improvement in the primary and secondary outcomes. A combination of CMT and LLLT was more effective than either of the 2 on their own. Both therapies are indicated as potentially beneficial treatments for cervical facet dysfunction. Further studies are needed to explore optimal treatment procedures for CMT and LLLT and the possible mechanism of interaction between therapies.

What does this mean for Stover Chiropractic and my patients? Simple, the chiropractic adjustment is primary, but at times the addition of laser will be an important help.

Please find the link to the original post below.

http://recoverydoctor.blogspot.com/2011/04/chiropractic-manipulative-therapy-and.html

Filed Under: Back Pain, Chiropractic, Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Low Level Laser, Sciatica Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Mechanicsville Spine Adjustment

April 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Mechanicsville, Virginia — My name is Dr. Tripp Stover. You may have heard the terms “spinal adjustment” and “spinal manipulation” used interchangeably when describing Mechanicsville chiropractors. Both terms refer to a process through which the spine is realigned or readjusted in an effort to improve overall health and wellness.

Most chiropractors prefer the use of the term “spinal adjustment” as it seems to better describe the correct chiropractic process.  The objective for a chiropractor is to be very specific when giving an adjustment.  A manipulation would imply a non-specific procedure intending to mobilize a joint.  Sometimes this is a great help, but when a person has a subluxation which is interfering with nerve function, they need a specific procedure.  This is what chiropractic has to offer over the gross manipulations that physical therapists, medical doctors, or osteopaths are trained to do.  The result of an adjustment is better mobility, less pain, AND a healthier nervous system.

Lower back pain for people in Mechanicsville is sometimes the result of vertebrae in the spine moving out of their normal position in relation to the overall structure of the back.

The back is a complex system of ligaments, joints, tissues, muscles, and other vertebrae. All must be working in harmony for things to feel good, and a spinal adjustment may be what you need.

A regular spinal adjustment to your spine can help move any misaligned components back into position, and may improve lower back pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia, sciatic, and even headaches.

Spine adjustments are applied gently by a trained and licensed chiropractor. I am a trained and licensed chiropractor working in Mechanicsville at Stover Chiropractic, P.C..

Come and see us: we’ll develop an individual plan to incorporate the techniques best suited to your individual needs, age, and condition. At Stover Chiropractic, P.C. our specialty is the spinal adjustment.

At Stover Chiropractic, P.C., we offer upper cervical spinal adjusting (Grostic/orthospinology).  If you are looking for a professional spinal adjustment in the area, give us a call at 804-559-1100.

Filed Under: Back Pain, Chiropractic, Fibromyalgia, Headache, Migraine, Sciatica, Subluxation, Upper Cervical Chiropractic Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sciatica and Upper Cervical Care

March 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

image

Mechanicsville, Virginia — As an upper cervical chiropractor it is always a challenge to explain to someone who is new to chiropractic just how symptoms that are not near the neck could be related to a problem in the neck.  I see a fair amount of sciatica cases.   At any one time we are usually caring for several people who have the horrible pain related to sciatica.  It turns out most have the upper cervical subluxation either as the cause of the pain or the cause of the postural changes that eventually cause disc problems, which irritate the sciatic nerve.  So I’m often trying to explain that connection to sciatica.

A blog post at The Upper Cervical Blog does a great job of explaining and showing with pictures.  I have copied it below.  Please visit the website for much more great information.

 

From The Upper Cervical Blog: March 8th, 2011, by Dr. William R. Davis Jr., D.C.

Sciatica that affects both legs (bilateral) is slightly less common than one sided (unilateral) sciatic nerve pain. Either leg can be affected individually or both together at once. Bilateral symptoms have a reputation as being a highly variable pain process and most patients demonstrate pain, tingling, weakness or numbness throughout wide ranging areas of the lower back, buttocks, legs and feet.
Being an upper cervical chiropractor many people cannot understand how I can get such good results with lower back and leg pain. But the truth is one of the most common conditions that I see in my practice is lower back pain with or without leg pain or sciatica.

So what does the neck have to do with the lower back and legs?

Upper neck misalignments (can) cause the posture of the body to be altered. Accidents and injuries to the head and neck will tear loose the tissue that holds the spine in place which will create a weakness and allow the spine to break down and lock into a stressed position.

The most movable bone in the body is located at the base of the skull and is called the Atlas. When the Atlas has lost it’s normal position the weight of the head is shifted to one side or the other.

Once this shift has taken place the body will begin to compensate. One of the shoulders will typically become lower and the pelvis will distort in order to compensate for lack of balance in the upper neck.

This Functional Pelvic Distortion is the underlying factor in many sciatic cases. This twisting and tilting of the pelvis causes a tethering on the sciatic nerve or nerves, inflammation and muscle spasms in most cases.

Here is an example from my office just last month.

Jim had lower back pain for years and was seeking help for severe degenerative disc disease in the lower back from a spinal decompression center in the area. After receiving the spinal decompression treatment his lower back pain increased and eventually he began getting intense sciatica down both legs.

He was referred to our office by a friend and came in quite sceptical that an upper cervical correction could help his lower back and legs. But at the encouragement of his friend he decided to give it a shot.

He had a history of severe head and neck traumas including several concussions and a auto racing crash at 145 mph.

He was assessed and found to have significant postural problems originating from the upper neck. His head and neck were markedly off to the right side and his pelvis was severely tilted and twisted 3 degrees from level. His thermographic scans showed severe inflammation in the upper neck and lower back.

He had lower back pain mostly on the left side and leg pain from the buttock to the foot on the left and sporadically on the right as well. He also had numbness and tingling on both sides worse in the feet.

He noticed if he moved his head back into extension it would increase the leg pain.

He was barely walking, could not sit for more than 5 minutes and was taking 4 Codeines and 12 Advil per day!

His x-rays showed significant disc degeneration in the lower back and neck and a very complicated and unstable upper cervical misalignment.

We began working on him and results were slow because of the instability of his misalignment. Once he began to hold his correction and the pressure remained off of the nerves for prolonged periods of time, his pain began slowing improving. A 30% reduction in the pain and the majority of the numbness in the legs was gone in the first month. He is in his second month now and his corrections are holding better and better. His hips stay level for weeks at a time and now he is completely off of the pain pills and able to sit for long periods of time again and his pain has gone from a constant 10/10 pain to a sporadic 3/10 pain that has localized to one leg. He and his wife just left on a week long cruise and he is very happy!

I never did any treatment on his lower back! I only corrected the underlying postural problems in the spine that were causing the lower back pain and the sciatica. By balancing out the head and the neck the pelvis is able to stay level and the pressure stays off the nerves.

Who do you know that has recurring lower back pain or sciatica? Who do you know that is considering surgery, decompression, injections or other overpriced and dangerous options?

The best questions to ask to see if upper cervical chiropractic could help you is…

Have you had head or neck traumas in the past?

Do you have obvious postural issues? Head tilts to one side, shoulders uneven, etc.

The results that I see are common in upper cervical offices. If you google upper cervical and sciatica you will see many of the patients who have been helped with sciatica across the country.

Here is the link directly to the article - Check it out – http://theuppercervicalblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/sciatica-and-upper-cervical-care.html

Filed Under: Chiropractic, Sciatica, Subluxation, Upper Cervical Chiropractic Tagged With: , , , ,

New Study Confirms Benefits of Wellness Care!

February 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Mechanicsville, Virginia — There are a few questions we as chiropractors get asked with some frequency.  One of them is some variation of, “Do you have to go to the chiropractor for the rest of your life if you start treatment?”  Or some combination of questions that are aimed at getting an answer to this.  And as far as I know chiropractors have always advised wellness care (or maintenance care) after a course of acute/corrective care.

Like anything related to health and wellness, it takes maintenance or we lose it.  This isn’t too controversial.  We can’t just brush our teeth once.  Or eat one well balenced meal.  Or go to the gym once and expect a lifetime of results.  So if someone has a damaged or injured spine (causing headaches, sciatica, low back pain, neck pain, disc bulges, migraines, or numbness for example), it takes work to restore function and help symptoms.  Next, it takes some attention to maintain the ground chiropractic restores.

The medical option is to maintain a course of pills and drugs.  If you have high blood pressure, you take medication for life.  If you have high cholesterol, you take a pill for the rest of your life.  If you have osteoporosis, you take another pill the rest or your life.  If you have arthritis pain, you take another pill for the rest of your life.  Sometimes surgery is needed to put out a “fire.”  But I don’t know any surgeon that would claim surgery restores function back to 100% the way one would be prior to surgery.  Just the presence of scar tissue means one can’t be 100% ever again.    In fact, some surgeries are so notoriously problematic, due to the secondary issues it brings about, they have their own diagnosis.  For example, “failed back surgery syndrome” is an actual diagnosis.  All of this to say, for the person who needs treatment, wether chiropractic or medical, the reality is there is a lifetime of maintenance needed after treatment.  [The necessity of maintenance care has been discussed before on this blog.]

So the question is, is wellness care (regular adjustments after pain has resolved and function restored) beneficial?  There is a recent study that supports that:

Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Non-specific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long Term Outcome? Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011 Jan 17.

Dr. Stephanie Maj summaries it nicely:  I’ve quoted her blog below -

“1. One third of them received 12 treatments of sham SMT over a one-month period.

2. One third of them received 12 treatments of SMT during a one-month period, with no follow-up care during the next nine months, and

3. One third of them received 12 SMT visits during the first month, followed by “maintenance” SMT every two weeks, for the next nine months.

To determine any difference among these 3 care groups, researchers measured pain and disability scores, generic health status, and back-specific patient satisfaction at baseline, and at 1-month, 4-months, 7-months, and at 10-months

RESULTS: Patients in manipulative groups (groups 2 & 3) experienced significantly lower pain and disability scores than the sham group at the end of the first 1-month period.

At the 10-month follow-up, only the maintenance group maintained improvements in pain and disability, while the group that only received 1-months care had reverted to their pretreatment pain and disability levels.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first medically managed trial that clearly demonstrates that maintenance care provides significant benefits to those who suffer from chronic low back pain.”

Let me know what you think!

Filed Under: Chiropractic, Headache, Migraine, Sciatica, Uncategorized, Wellness