Chiropractic Care for Sciatica Relief in Oakdale

Sciatica is named after the sciatic nerve, which originates from nerves in the lower back. These nerves converge to form the sciatic nerve, a bundle of nerves that passes through the buttock behind the hip joint and continues down the back of the leg.

As the lumbar nerves travel down the leg, they branch off at different levels to supply muscles and provide skin sensation in various areas. For example, the big toe, the inside of the foot, and the inside of the calf are served by the L4 nerve. Therefore, if there is a subluxation or disc bulge at the L4 level in your spine, you might not feel any discomfort in your back, but your toe could become numb or painful. The L5 nerve serves the pinky toe and the outer part of the foot and calf. The first sacral nerve, located just below L5, extends to the back of the calf and the bottom of the foot. The area from the thigh to the groin is not served by the sciatic nerve but by the L3, L2, and L1 nerves, in that order from the top of the knee to the groin.

Understanding this "map" enables us to pinpoint which nerve is being damaged and causing the issue. With this information, we then examine the X-ray to observe what is occurring at that level.

On a side note, I am puzzled as to why many chiropractors avoid taking images of the spine. Numerous patients who come here from other clinics have never had their spines imaged. I am frequently amazed by the things I cannot detect or identify without these images. Often, I think there's no way I would have found the solution without an x-ray. I can't fathom how chiropractors operate without them. I suspect that many people try "chiropractic" care, and due to the lack of imaging, the doctor cannot pinpoint the exact issue, leading the patient to see no results and spend their life claiming 'chiropractic doesn't work.' You would immediately dismiss your dentist if your tooth hurt and they didn't take x-rays. You would also dismiss them if their advice was "Come back when your teeth hurt again." But that's a topic for another blog post.

Returning to the problem analysis, this is where things become intriguing. Imagine experiencing L4 symptoms, including tingling on the inside of your foot and toe. However, the x-ray shows that L4 appears normal. Instead, the pelvis is uneven, and L3 is misaligned right above L4. From the doctor's point of view, you shouldn't adjust L4, even though it seems clinically necessary from the patient's perspective. Instead, you need to address the surrounding issues to rectify the L4 interference. And surprisingly, this approach is effective.

Here's another contrast: the medical approach to treatment doesn't align well with chiropractic's approach. In and ironic twist, medical doctors and orthopedists take x-rays but then merely refer patients to physical therapists or prescribe anti-inflammatories and analgesics. What's the purpose of that x-ray if they can't interpret it and address the issue? At best, they opt for an MRI or CT scan as a precursor to surgery. It's rare for a patient to actually need surgery. However, many choose it because, once again, no one knows how to correct what they see on the x-ray in medical clinics. Patients may feel better from symptom treatment, but the original problem, never identified or addressed, remains. Symptoms will return in the future, and the problem will become harder to correct and more expensive over time. Chiropractic care enhances your body's function. It doesn't interfere with, mask the symptom, cut tissue, burn nerves, or "anti" inflame, pain, or swell. Chiropractic care makes your innate healing system more efficient and allows the system that created the body to heal the body.

People compliment us all the time for “fixing” them. We don’t fix anyone. Their own body does that.  The healer is within all of us.  We are able to realign the spine and remove the interference to healing so that happens better and more often.

Which brings me to a question someone asked today; how long do I have to come here? 

The answer is, you don’t have to come here at all.  You can come once if you like.  You can come until it doesn’t hurt.  You can come to prevent it from hurting.  You can come to run faster or jump higher.  You can come to be the best version of you.

I compare getting adjusted to brushing your teeth. You don’t have to brush your teeth at all. You can do it once. You can do it when they hurt. You can do it to prevent pain. You can do it to make them whiter and more attractive. You can do it to keep them healthy and use them until you no longer need them.

Why should you brush them repeatedly? Because you use them, and they become dirty. Why should you get adjusted regularly? Because as you live your life, your spine gets affected by daily activities. Gravity, yard work, sports, sitting, computers, and injuries all contribute to this. It's difficult to go a few weeks without something affecting my spine. I've been getting checked and adjusted weekly, or even more often, for over 30 years now.

If you read my previous blog about my peers and their numerous health issues, you'll notice the difference. I don't engage in significantly more health practices than others. The key thing I do differently from 90% of the population is receive regular adjustments.

It's true, I likely eat better than most. However, I know individuals who possess far more knowledge about nutrition than I do and maintain a much cleaner diet, yet they can't do the things I do and lack the energy I have. In fact, some adhere to a clean diet out of necessity. When they don't, they face consequences. Without adjusting their spine, they have minimal flexibility for poor dietary choices before symptoms set them back again.

I will turn 65 in January. I know many people my age and even younger who can no longer work due to health issues. There are also a few who are no longer with us because they never prioritized their health. I don't judge them, but observing these outcomes provides a clear path for those who wish to remain healthy and active into their 70s and 80s. It's true that I don't know many 90-year-olds who are still enjoying life actively, but that's my goal.

Blessings,

Dr. Barrett

Vibrant Life Center

Oakdale, MN 55128

651-777-3611