Acupuncture for Sciatica Nerve Pain

Sciatica is the result the sciatic nerve of the compression in your lower back. Sciatica produces pain and/or numbness in the lower back, the glutes, down the whole leg, and sometimes wraps around to the side of quads.

Treatment options with acupuncture may vary depending on the specifics of the case. Muscle spasms, tight tendons and connective tissue, pregnancy, bulging or herniated discs, misaligned spine, or spinal degeneration, is often the cause for sciatica. In most cases, relieving the pressure on the sciatic nerve can be achieved with acupuncture and without undergoing surgery.

Acupuncture is great at releasing the extra tension that causes the tendons, and muscle spasms, to irritate the sciatica nerve bundle. When symptoms are closer to the origin area in the lower back, the outer nerves are irritated in the bundle. As the symptoms reach (radiate) farther down the leg to the foot, and pick up numbness, the deeper nerves in the bundle are also getting irritated. You want to be trying acupuncture pronto to stave off surgery. Many patients feel an immediate improvement, which is very encouraging. Caught early, the tension clears faster. Point sites will be local to the lower back, but also up to the upper back and neck area depending on tension of the upper back. Acupuncture helps to reduce the residual effects that linger for months, or for years.