Sciatica and low back pain treatment Sarasota and Tampa Bay Area

Sciatica and low back pain affect over 20 percent of the United States population at any given time. Most back pain and sciatica are caused by musculoskeletal imbalances. In this article, we will discuss how the upper cervical (neck) spine can underly sciatica and low back pain. After we discuss how the neck can cause these two conditions we will offer up a little-known procedure called Blair upper cervical care that can remove the underlying cause of sciatica, back pain, and many of their chronic health conditions.

How does the neck injury relate to low back pain and postural imbalances?

The top two bones in the neck called the atlas (c-1) and axis (c-2) houses the most vital structure in the human body called the brainstem. The brainstem is the seat of control for most functions in the body. Since this article is discussing low back pain and sciatica we will limit our discussion to the brainstem's control over postural muscle tone. The brainstem coupled with joint motion in the neck is both interrelated in their control over muscle tone regulation throughout the spine and body.

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Injury to the upper neck by acceleration-deceleration injuries (whiplash) or blunt trauma, can damage the supporting soft tissue snd ligaments that are vital to normal joint motion in the neck. Once injured, the muscles in the neck become tight and imbalanced, the range of motion decreases, and irritation to the central nervous system ensues. This then leads to a cascade of postural and muscle tone imbalances that can lead to chronic back pain, mid back pain, and neck pain. 

Unfortunately, there is little attention placed on causes of health problems in our mainstream system snd as a result the majority of people who suffer from neck and back pain resort to pain-killing medication. Medication can help the patient feel better, however, it does little to help the body heal through the underlying cause. This is where Blair's upper cervical technique helps restore normal joint motion and over time can allow the body to recover lost health and function. Later in this article, we will discuss what Blair's upper cervical is and how it can help.

Sciatica the upper cervical spine and piriformis syndrome

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We have already discussed how the upper cervical spine is the seat of control for muscle tone throughout the spine. Sciatica is a common condition where pain radiates from the buttock down the leg. Sciaticas most common cause is known as piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle is located in the buttock. It spans from the upper leg bone and attaches to the sacrum ( hard flat bone between the buttocks). Underneath the piriformis muscle is the sciatic nerve. Piriformis syndrome is a condition where the piriformis muscle becomes chronically tight and then entraps ( pinches) the sciatic nerve.

This muscular imbalance is responsible for 80 percent of people who suffer from sciatica. Most of the general public is unaware of the fact that the piriformis muscles tone is controlled by the brainstem located at the top of the neck. Almost all piriformis syndrome is the result of upper cervical spine injury and the great majority of patients with this type of sciatica respond beautifully to Blair's upper cervical technique.

What exactly does an upper cervical chiropractor get to do?

Blair Upper Cervical doctors are specially trained to locate spinal misalignments in the upper cervical spine and correct them. Spinal misalignments are located by running a battery of neurological tests that locate the spinal segments that have been injured and misaligned by a prior neck injury.

 Once located, precision imaging in the form of digital x-ray or cone-beam computed tomography (cbct) is used to precisely determine which joint has misaligned and the angulation of the misaligned joint. Each person’s anatomy is different and therefore imaging is used to uncover the blueprint to be used to correct each patient’s individual misalignment pattern. Once this information is gleaned, a gentle, light correction is made without twisting, popping, or pulling.

The patient is then monitored overtime to ensure that the correction is holding. If the testing indicates the need for another correction, then it is performed. However, the goal of Blair Upper Cervical Care is for the patient to stay in “adjustment”. It isn’t the correction that produces healing. It is the removal of nerve irritation and the adjustment “holding” in its normal position that allows the body to function better and proceed through a healing process. 

This is how Blair Chiropractic care can often help remove the underlying cause of many who suffer from sciatica, low back pain, eustachian tube dysfunction, tinnitus, Vertigo, Meniere’s disease, neck pain, migraine headaches, and other chronic health problems by supporting the body in healing itself.