Non-Surgical Leg and Back Pain Care
Pain that shoots from your low back through the hip and down the leg has a cause, and finding it comes first. At 5747 28th Street SE, our doctors examine the spine, hips and nerve before choosing care.
Looking for options besides pills, injections or surgery? Read our main sciatica treatment page, or start with the steps below.
SCIATICA PAIN RELIEF
Consultation and exam with the doctor
Know What You Are Feeling
Sciatica usually shows up on one side: a burning, electric or aching pain from the low back or buttock that can travel down the back of the thigh, sometimes into the calf and foot, often with tingling or numbness. It tends to flare with long sitting, bending forward, coughing or sneezing.
The common causes are a bulging or herniated disc (see our page on herniated disc treatment), a stiff low-back or sacroiliac joint, and a tight piriformis muscle deep in the hip. Desk work and long drives around Grand Rapids make all three worse, which is why relief starts with the exam, not a guess.
How Care Works Here
Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis. A disc bulge, a tight joint in the low back or a muscle deep in the hip can each press on the nerve, and each calls for a different plan. The first visit is a one-on-one consultation and exam with the doctor to find which one is yours.
Gentle adjustments to the low back and pelvis restore motion to joints that are irritating the nerve root, which takes pressure off the nerve.
More on how chiropractic adjustments workWhen a disc is the cause, decompression gently stretches the spine to take pressure off the disc and the nerve. It is a table-based, non-surgical therapy, often chosen by patients who have already tried other options.
More on spinal decompressionLaser therapy supports the irritated tissue around the nerve to calm inflammation, and is often paired with adjustments or decompression.
More on Class IV laser therapyChiropractor or Physical Therapy
Many people searching for sciatica relief compare a chiropractor with physical therapy. Both are non-surgical. Physical therapy centers on guided exercise and movement. Chiropractic care centers on joint motion and nerve pressure, using adjustments and decompression, and many patients add exercises at home.
Not sure which fits? Our guide to what kind of doctor a chiropractor is explains the differences, and the exam gives you a straight answer for your case. Learn more about non-surgical treatment options in Grand Rapids.
Finding the true cause is the fastest route. Short walks, changing positions often and avoiding long bed rest usually help while you wait, and an exam tells us whether the nerve is being pinched by a disc, a joint or a tight hip muscle so care can be aimed at that cause.
Both are conservative, non-surgical options, and many patients try more than one. Chiropractic care focuses on restoring joint motion and taking pressure off the nerve with adjustments and decompression, while physical therapy focuses on exercise and movement. At the exam we tell you honestly which fits your case.
Yes. Our doctors treat sciatica with adjustments, spinal decompression and Class IV laser therapy, based on what the exam finds.
Sudden weakness in a leg, numbness in the groin or saddle area, or loss of bladder or bowel control needs emergency care the same day. For other leg pain, an exam is the right first step.
You get a one-on-one consultation and exam with the doctor to find what is behind your pain, so you leave with answers. The full review of findings and your options usually happens at the follow-up visit.
No. You can call (616) 432-3103 or request a time online. Our office is at 5747 28th Street SE in Grand Rapids with free parking at the door.
Request a time online or call the office.
