Back pain is something that many people will do just about anything to relieve. Unfortunately, some of the "instant" remedies offered do not really do anything to address the cause of the pain; these "fixes" only offer temporary relief of the pain, all but ensuring the pain will return at some point in the future. One of these "fixes" is often a steroid injection.
How Effective are Steroid Injections?
Doctors often prescribe steroid injections as part of the "program" for pain relief as well as a precursor to surgery. This is often looked at as a form or therapy before doing a radically invasive procedure, such as a spinal fusion. Realistically, though, the relief experienced is only a temporary cure and offers no real benefit to the patient, other than those brief moments of limited pain relief.
A secondary concern is the danger involved in receiving too many injections, especially over a short time period. Most doctors will advise against anything more than two to three injections per year. There are also some adverse and dangerous side effects associated with spinal injections, such as:
So, the question is do you want a "risky" and temporary cure or do you want something that will offer a more permanent, long-term relief of your back and/or sciatica pain?
Using a Chiropractor to Treat Back and Sciatica Pain
Chiropractic adjustment is a treatment method that has been used for years to treat these types of pains. Unlike injections, adjustments paired with physical therapy are very effective in providing long-term relief of both back and sciatica pain. After undergoing an initial physical with your chiropractor, a long-term plan of treatment and exercise will be laid out to address your specific problems.
As mentioned, part of the treatment is observed physical therapy as well as exercises you can do on your own to aid in the recovery process. Some of these treatments and exercises are:
How Effective are Steroid Injections?
Doctors often prescribe steroid injections as part of the "program" for pain relief as well as a precursor to surgery. This is often looked at as a form or therapy before doing a radically invasive procedure, such as a spinal fusion. Realistically, though, the relief experienced is only a temporary cure and offers no real benefit to the patient, other than those brief moments of limited pain relief.
A secondary concern is the danger involved in receiving too many injections, especially over a short time period. Most doctors will advise against anything more than two to three injections per year. There are also some adverse and dangerous side effects associated with spinal injections, such as:
- Stroke
- Paralysis
- Loss of vision
- Death
So, the question is do you want a "risky" and temporary cure or do you want something that will offer a more permanent, long-term relief of your back and/or sciatica pain?
Using a Chiropractor to Treat Back and Sciatica Pain
Chiropractic adjustment is a treatment method that has been used for years to treat these types of pains. Unlike injections, adjustments paired with physical therapy are very effective in providing long-term relief of both back and sciatica pain. After undergoing an initial physical with your chiropractor, a long-term plan of treatment and exercise will be laid out to address your specific problems.
As mentioned, part of the treatment is observed physical therapy as well as exercises you can do on your own to aid in the recovery process. Some of these treatments and exercises are:
- Stretching the Hamstring - most people do not realize how integral the hamstring is in back pain. When your hamstring muscles are tight, they pull on your lower back muscles, leading to discomfort and/or pain. Over time, this can also lead to sciatica problems.
- Core Exercise - a strong core can help alleviate many of the problems that arise and cause back problems. Having a strong core will also enable you to be able to do many of the targeted exercises used to both prevent and treat lower back and sciatica issues.
- Low Impact Aerobic Exercise - your doctor may prescribe something as simple as walking a few miles every day (starting out slowly and then gradually building your distance). As you get stronger, you can quicken the pace and increase the overall aerobic effectiveness of the exercise.
Part of the physical therapy will also be to learn how to do these exercises properly. As you may already know, improper technique is one of the leading causes of injury to athletes.
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