Can Spinal Decompression Help Sciatica? – Mira Mesa, CA

When Sciatica Starts Controlling Your Day

Sciatica can slowly change the way you live.

You may avoid sitting through a meal, worry about driving to work, stop exercising, or wake up repeatedly because you cannot find a comfortable position. Some people begin leaning to one side or walking differently just to avoid the pain shooting into the leg.

The symptoms may include:

• Burning or electric pain through the buttock and leg

• Numbness or tingling in the foot or toes

• Pain that becomes worse while sitting

• Difficulty standing or walking normally

• Weakness in the leg or foot

• Lower-back pain combined with leg symptoms

When sciatica lasts for weeks or keeps returning, the question is no longer simply how to reduce the pain temporarily. The real question is:

What is irritating the sciatic nerve, and can the underlying problem be treated without surgery?

When sciatica is caused by a bulging, herniated, protruding, or extruded lumbar disc, non-surgical spinal decompression may be an appropriate option.

From Severe Sciatica Back to Sleeping, Walking, and Enjoying Life

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“I was dealing with severe back pain that made it difficult to sleep, along with intense sciatica that radiated from my lower back down my leg following an accident.

When I met with Dr. Cassidy Boelk, he performed a thorough evaluation and determined that I was a good candidate for treatment.

The results were remarkable.

After just two spinal decompression sessions, my sciatic pain was gone, allowing us to focus on correcting the underlying cause of the problem. I completed 24 treatments and then progressed into rehabilitation exercises designed to strengthen my core and help prevent future flare-ups.

The office is beautiful, organized, and professional, and the customer service provided by the entire staff consistently exceeded my expectations.

Living with back and neck pain can affect every part of your life. In my case, I gained weight, relied on pain medications, struggled with depression, and dealt with significant anxiety because of my condition.

Today, I feel like a different person.

I'm sleeping better, walking comfortably, becoming active again, and enjoying life much more than before.

My experience has been excellent from start to finish.

Dr. Cassidy Boelk is truly outstanding, and I am extremely grateful I found his office.”

— Abel T., San Diego, CA

Abel’s experience is his own, and no treatment can guarantee the same result for everyone. His story demonstrates why a thorough evaluation and a complete treatment and rehabilitation plan are important.

Find Out Whether Your Sciatica Is Coming From a Disc Problem

If sciatica is interfering with your sleep, work, exercise, driving, or ability to walk comfortably, call 619-298-0800 to schedule a complimentary no-charge consultation with Dr. Cassidy Boelk, DC.

Bring your MRI or other recent imaging if available. Dr. Boelk will review your condition, answer your questions, and tell you directly whether you appear to be a candidate for non-surgical spinal decompression.

Call 619-298-0800 or text 619-884-8298 to schedule.

The office is located in Kearny Mesa, a convenient drive from Mira Mesa. Spanish-speaking assistance is available, and calls are answered 24 hours a day.

Sciatica Describes the Symptoms, Not the Cause

Sciatica is a general term for symptoms affecting the sciatic nerve. It does not identify the condition responsible for those symptoms.

Possible causes include:

• A bulging lumbar disc

• A herniated, protruding, or extruded disc

• Degenerative disc changes

• Loss of disc height

• Inflammation surrounding a spinal nerve

• Foraminal narrowing

• Spinal instability

• A hip, muscular, or peripheral nerve problem that imitates sciatica

This is why two patients with similar leg pain may respond very differently to the same treatment.

Non-surgical spinal decompression is designed to address certain spinal causes of sciatica. It is not appropriate for every condition that causes pain, tingling, or numbness in the leg.

How a Lumbar Disc Can Irritate the Sciatic Nerve

The lumbar discs sit between the bones of the lower spine. They help absorb force and allow the spine to move.

When a disc becomes damaged or compressed, it may begin to bulge or herniate toward a nearby spinal nerve. The combination of pressure and inflammation can cause symptoms to travel through the buttock and into the leg.

Some patients experience severe leg pain with very little lower-back pain. Others begin with back pain and later develop tingling, numbness, or weakness in the leg or foot.

Common aggravating activities can include:

• Sitting for extended periods

• Driving

• Bending forward

• Lifting from the floor

• Twisting while carrying weight

• Coughing or sneezing

• Moving from sitting to standing

These patterns can help identify a disc-related problem, but they still need to be compared with the physical examination and imaging.

How Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression May Help

The DRX9000 uses computer-controlled pulling and releasing cycles to gently reduce pressure at a targeted spinal level.

This is not a forceful stretch of the entire back. The treatment level and settings are selected according to the patient’s diagnosis, imaging, body type, symptoms, and response.

For an appropriate patient, non-surgical spinal decompression may help:

• Reduce pressure affecting the spinal nerve

• Decrease pain traveling into the buttock or leg

• Improve fluid and nutrient movement within the disc

• Reduce protective muscle tightness

• Improve comfort while sitting, standing, and walking

• Help the patient progress into rehabilitation and stabilization exercises

The DRX9000 is only part of the process. Proper patient selection, accurate targeting, treatment frequency, table settings, activity modification, and rehabilitation all influence the outcome.

Why Stretching Does Not Always Fix Sciatica

Many people assume that pain or tightness in the back of the leg means the hamstring needs to be stretched.

With sciatica, that sensation may be coming from an irritated nerve rather than a short muscle. Aggressive stretching can place additional tension on the nerve and make the symptoms travel farther down the leg.

Other exercises may repeatedly compress or aggravate the injured disc.

Until the cause is understood:

• Avoid stretching that increases leg pain

• Limit prolonged sitting when possible

• Change positions regularly

• Take short walks if walking is comfortable

• Avoid repeated bending and twisting

• Stop exercises that increase numbness or tingling

• Avoid heavy lifting during an acute flare-up

The right exercise program should be based on the diagnosis and the patient’s current stage of recovery.

Why Dr. Boelk Reviews the Actual MRI Images

An MRI report can provide valuable information, but it does not always explain which finding is causing the symptoms.

Dr. Boelk reviews the available images and compares them with:

• The exact location of the pain

• Numbness, tingling, or weakness

• Muscle-strength and reflex changes

• Orthopedic and neurological findings

• Previous treatment and surgical history

• Weight-bearing spinal alignment

• Possible instability

• Activities that make the symptoms better or worse

When appropriate, weight-bearing and flexion-extension X-rays may also be taken. These images can reveal alignment problems or instability that may not appear on an MRI performed while the patient is lying down.

Not Every Patient Is a Candidate

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“Very nice Dr. and Honest! I would definitely recommend anyone who hasn't had metal put in their back in a surgery to go to him and give his program a shot. I believe it would definitely help. Just not in my personal case, as I have a lot of hardware in my back.

But I'm glad I took the time to meet with him. It was very informative all around.”

— Toni W., Lake Elsinore, CA

Dr. Boelk determined that Toni was not an appropriate candidate because of the amount of hardware in her spine. She was not encouraged to begin a treatment program that was not suitable for her condition.

A patient may not qualify for lumbar decompression because of:

• Spinal instability

• Surgical hardware at the treatment level

• A recent or unhealed fracture

• Pregnancy

• Certain advanced spinal conditions

• Symptoms requiring urgent medical or surgical evaluation

The purpose of the consultation is to determine whether treatment makes sense before the patient commits time and money to a program.

If Dr. Boelk does not believe decompression is appropriate, he will explain why and recommend another direction when possible.

When Sciatica Requires Immediate Medical Care

Seek immediate medical attention if sciatica is accompanied by:

• New loss of bladder or bowel control

• Numbness in the groin or saddle region

• Rapidly progressing leg weakness

• Severe symptoms following significant trauma

• Fever or unexplained illness with severe back pain

These symptoms should not be treated as routine sciatica.

Why Patients Seek Out Dr. Cassidy Boelk, DC

Patients from Mira Mesa and throughout San Diego County seek out Dr. Boelk because his practice is focused on spinal decompression, disc injuries, sciatica, and difficult neck and back conditions.

His credentials and experience include:

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist

• More than 21 years of clinical experience

• Over 100,000 spinal decompression treatments performed

• Founder of the Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

• Trains other doctors in spinal decompression protocols and techniques

• Founding Member of the American Spinal Decompression Society

• Member of the International Disc Education Association

• California-licensed doctor with X-ray radiography certification

• Seven DRX9000 spinal decompression systems

• Extensive personal experience rehabilitating serious spinal and disc injuries

Dr. Boelk has spent thousands of hours rehabilitating his own neck and lower-back injuries while developing the decompression, rehabilitation, and spinal-stability protocols he uses with appropriate patients.

People travel to his San Diego office from throughout California, other states, Mexico, Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom to seek his experience.

Do Not Wait Until Sciatica Takes Away More of Your Life

Sciatica can gradually affect your ability to exercise, sleep, travel, work, and spend time with your family. The longer it continues, the more normal those limitations can begin to feel.

You do not have to commit to treatment to get an informed opinion.

Start with a complimentary consultation. Dr. Boelk will review your situation, examine your available imaging, and tell you honestly whether non-surgical spinal decompression may be appropriate.

Call Today to Find Out if You Are a Candidate

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego
5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123

Call: 619-298-0800
Text: 619-884-8298
Visit: www.SanDiegoBackCare.com

Spanish-speaking assistance is available. Calls are answered 24 hours a day.

Call 619-298-0800 today to schedule your complimentary no-charge consultation. Find out what is causing your sciatica and whether non-surgical spinal decompression is an appropriate next step.