Some search for years to find what they would consider to be the perfect job. You know the kind we’re talking about. The office job with a nice chair, desk, and computer. Maybe there is even a window with a view. You clock in at 9, out at 5, and have plenty of vacation time.
In reality, very few people have the exact job described above. But even if you work 60 hours per week in a tiny cubical with 2 days of vacation time, the fact is that your comfy office chair may not be so great for your back. That’s because sitting for long periods of time consecutively just is not good for your spine.
You may think of high-risk careers as just including ‘blue collar’ jobs. But the fact is that statistics show the frequency of injury for those who spend long hours in a chair and type on a keyboard most of the day.
So what can you do to keep your spine properly aligned? Well, you may be able to change your work environment to some degree depending on your employer. There are a number of ergonomic solutions. Plus, taking regular breaks is a good plan (again, assuming your employer is okay with that).
But what if back pain has already set in? Maybe your wrist is starting to feel the strain of constant typing. Then it is time to see an upper cervical chiropractor. Why?
The feeling in your back or even wrist may actually relate to a misalignment of the top two vertebrae in the neck. Such a misalignment is common for people who sit all day at work. It can also be caused by holding the head at an angle to view a computer screen for long periods of time.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Redwood City, California is an upper cervical chiropractor who is specially trained to diagnose and correct just such misalignments. Since a C1 or C2 misalignment can place pressure on the brainstem and cause all sorts of other problems, now is the time to get examined.
To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Redwood City California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/
That Pain in Your Sciatic NerveWe live in a world with enough technology and medical advancements that you don't need to go on living with that pain in your sciatic nerve. You can just take a pill, and all the pain will go away within a matter of moments. That doesn't mean the underlying issue that is causing that pain will go away; it just means you won't feel it anymore.
Of course, since that medication would not be addressing the underlying issue, your Sciatica would flare up again. But you would still have that bottle of pills to help relieve your pain again, until it comes back. The cycle will continue until you do something to make it go away, and that something is to entrust your care to someone who knows how to get to the underlying cause of your pain.
Now, that person will never give you a bottle of pills, rather than will address the underlying cause of the problem by examining your upper cervical spine. That's because an upper cervical chiropractor—a doctor of chiropractic who only focuses on aligning the top two vertebrae in the spine—is focused on partnering with, to help you regain full mobility.
When your upper cervical chiropractor partners with you, they are doing so for your benefit. One thing they might do is to give you a list of exercises you can do at home that will help you in the healing process. It is important, though, that you only do those exercises on this list that your upper cervical chiropractor says are safe:
This is not a full list of exercises you can do to reduce the pain of sciatica, but we want to give your upper cervical chiropractor a chance to tell you which exercises he or say are the best for you.
Whichever exercises you do, you will want to do three sets, once a day. Hold each of these stretches for 30 second and then return your leg to its resting position. This will help you warm up your muscle, as well as it reduces the pain of your sciatica. Stretching is also always good for increasing range of motion and joint lubrication, as well as delivering nutrients and oxygen to the muscles.
All three of these stretches should be held for 30 seconds and then you should return your legs to a resting position, Make sure to do three sets, once a day. This will warm up your muscles and minimize the pain caused by your Sciatica. Stretching also increases your range of motion, lubricates your joints, and delivers nutrients and oxygen to your muscles.
To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Redwood City California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/
Understanding SciaticaIf you suffer from pain in your lower back that extends down through your buttock, one of your legs, and possibly into your foot, then you suffer from Sciatica. That pain is caused by something irritating either your sciatic nerve or one of its five nerve roots.
Not only is this nerve the longest nerve in your body, but you have two of them. Each of them is attached to your lumbar spine, which is the lower part of your spine, by five nerve roots. Each Sciatic Nerve, then, branches into two at the knee.
When a person suffers from Sciatica, the pain is never isolated to just one place. It can be felt any place along the path of the Sciatic nerve and is often accompanied by either a “pin and needles” feeling, numbness, loss of bladder control, or muscular weakness. Sometimes, pain from Sciatica can feel like an electric shock along the nerve.
No matter how the pain of Sciatica manifests itself, it can range from a dull ache to an intense pain. You will usually feel it either when you're sitting, coughing, or sneezing. And no matter where the pain manifests itself the most, you will most likely also feel a pain in your lower back.
As we said at the beginning of this blog, Sciatica is caused by something irritating the Sciatic nerve. That thing that's irritating that nerve can be a list of several different things, thus making Sciatica a symptom of a deeper health issue.
So, what's the cause of your Sciatica. Well, there is no way to tell just by reading a blog, but here's a list of several things that may be causing that irritation against your Sciatic Nerve:
Though, another type of injury that can also lead to Sciatica is one to the spine or neck. That can be the result of poor posture placing pressure on the neck, which then places pressure of on the discs of the lower back.
Though, no matter what the cause of your Sciatic pain is, upper cervical chiropractic can be beneficial for you. This type of chiropractic is gentle and specific type of chiropractic that focuses on keeping the top two vertebrae in the neck aligned. The alignment of those top two bones in your upper neck vertebrae, or upper cervical spine, is important because it affects your brain's ability to communicate with your body.
If those two bones in your upper neck are out of alignment by only ¼ of a millimeter, it can place enough pressure on the brainstem to hinder that communication process. It will also mean that with the slightest of misalignments in those two bones, the rest of your spine will also become twisted, thus leading to all sorts of potential health complications.
To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Redwood City California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/
Well . . . we have good news and we have bad news. That is if you suffer from pain in your lower back that shoots through your hips and buttock down through one of your legs. That pain is a pretty good sign that you may be suffering from Sciatica. That's the bad news, but the good news is that pain doesn't need to continue. You can do something to overcome that pain, but so many people simply choose to live with that pain.
What is Sciatica?
First, you're probably wondering what is causing that pain in your lower back down through your leg and why it's only affecting one side of your body. There is pressure being placed on your Sciatic nerve, which extends from your lumbar spine down through your leg. You only feel pain on one side of your body because you have two of those nerve, and you feel the pain on the side of your body that that particular nerve is feeling the pressure.
Since your Sciatic Nerve controls numerous muscles in your back, knees, and lower legs, it is important that people who suffer from Sciatica take the right steps to deal with the underlying cause of their pain. Failing to deal with it now can cause it to become numbness, tingling, muscle atrophy, or even foot drop later.
Sciatica Approaches
Of course, the question is one of the proper way to care for Sciatica. It's important that you allow a chiropractor to examine your spine for any misalignments. For instance a misalignment of only ¼ of a millimeter in the upper neck vertebrae can lead to all sorts of health complications throughout the body. That’s why an upper cervical chiropractor is uniquely trained to address misalignments in the position of the head, neck, spine, pelvis all the way down to the feet. Although your pain may be starting in your lower back and going down your leg the underlying cause may be starting all the way at the top of your spine where your head and neck come together. Our heads are very heavy weighing between 10 to 14 pounds and when the head is not properly positioned on top of the neck due to accidents and injuries the entire spine will have to shift in order to adapt to the position of the head. This can frequently lead to long-standing problems in the lower back and pelvis that are never properly addressed.
Though, while it is important to get your neck evaluated, we also understand that your appointment may not be for several days. You don't want to have to suffer until Monday or whenever your appointment is, and we don't want you to suffer. So, here are some tips of what you can do to find temporary relief until your visit to the chiropractor.
Temporary Sciatica Relief
Now, it is important that you not rely on your home exercises for complete relief. Make sure you keep and go to that appointment, so your upper cervical chiropractor can evaluate your upper neck and spine for any postural problems that may be causing your Sciatica.
To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Redwood City California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/
If you are experiencing a shooting pain from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down one of your legs, there is good news and bad news. The bad news is there is a chance you are experiencing sciatica, but the good news is you don't need to live with the pain. Though, it is important not to ignore this problem because sciatica may be symptomatic of another problem.
Your body is putting pressure on the sciatic nerve that it is not meant to sustain, but specific chiropractic adjustments can put the body back in alignment. Your sciatic nerve controls various muscles in your back, knees, and lower legs. That means if sciatica is not properly treated it can lead to adverse physical effects such as numbness, tingling, muscle atrophy and even foot drop.
At first, you may only notice a dull pain, but sciatica may also manifest itself as a mild tingling or a burning sensation. The pain typically only occurs on one side of the body, often starts slowly, and can occur at various times. But that pain, if left untreated, can lead to more pressure, more pain, and more problems.
If you feel pain starting from the lower spine that runs down through your leg, chances are you are experiencing Sciatica. It is important that you receive a proper chiropractic evaluation. If it is Sciatica, there are some things you can do before your evaluation.
An upper cervical chiropractor can thoroughly evaluate the alignment of your head neck and spine to determine if postural problems may be leading to your sciatica. This is a very common cause of sciatic pain and if addressed properly can frequently reduce pain quickly while getting to the underlying cause.
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sciatica/basics/definition/con-20026478
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001706/
To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Redwood City California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/
