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Multi-Disciplinary Pain Management and Rehabilitation for Sciatica in Monmouth County

Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center offers Medical Care, Acupuncture, Physical Therapy, and Chiropractic to help sciatica patients reduce pain and increase functioning without surgery.

Medical Care for Sciatica: Pain Management and Rehabilitation

Sciatica is the term used to describe a set of symptoms that occur due to the compression, irritation, or inflammation of one of the five roots that comprise the sciatic nerve, or of the sciatic nerve itself. The Medical Director at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Medical care for sciatica at our facility focuses on treating the cause of sciatica (herniated disc, trauma, arthritis, etc.) in order to manage pain and increase mobility. The first step in this process is a full orthopedic and neurological examination.

Once the cause of sciatica has been determined, a pain management and rehabilitation program is crafted according to each patient’s individual needs and medical history. This plan of rehabilitation may include acupuncture, physical therapy, and/or spinal manipulation (all of these services are offered at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center).

A physician may perform any one of a number of minimally invasive procedures on patients who are experiencing pain severe enough to limit rehabilitation. For example, Epidural Steroid injections help to reduce inflammation and pain in the spinal nerves by delivering a combination of a long-lasting corticosteroid and/or anesthetic numbing agent to the epidural space (the area between the protective covering of the spinal cord and the vertebrae). The main purpose of Epidural Steroid Injections is to provide a temporary solution to pain so that patients can benefit from physical therapy and other rehabilitation practices.

Acupuncture and Sciatica

Ancient Chinese medical practitioners intuitively understood that the human body comes equipped with the ability to treat pain. Western medical studies have proven that acupuncture actually helps the body reduce pain and stress naturally.

The stimulation of certain points on the body prompts the release of endorphins, natural painkilling chemicals. Acupuncture also increases serotonin levels; serotonin interrupts pain signals before they are able to reach the brain while simultaneously improving mood and relieving stress. Acupuncture also assists in the healing process by improving the circulation of blood throughout the body.

Physical Therapy for Sciatica

Depending on the cause of sciatica pain, any of the following physical therapy practices may be used in the rehabilitation process:

• Exercise: Under the guidance of a trained physical therapist, therapeutic exercise helps sciatica patients build strength and increase flexibility. It is extremely important for sciatica patients to attempt exercise only under the guidance of trained professionals. Our facility also incorporates PowerPlate technology, which uses vibration to increase circulation in order to restore the damaged tissues and muscles of the body.

• Ultrasound: Ultrasound reaches deep into the muscle tissues with sound waves to relieve pain, stiffness, muscle spasms, and cramping.

• Massage: Tension in the lower back may be irritating the sciatic nerve and causing pain. Deep Tissue massage releases this tension.

• Cold/Heat Therapies: These two extremes may be used alternately to reduce inflammation and pain as well as increase circulation to the affected area.
• Low Level Laser Therapy: (link to ) This therapy stimulates damaged cells and assists with healing and repair.

• Electrotherapy: Electrotherapy works by disrupting pain signals before they are able to cause pain.

Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatica

Chiropractic care is based on the concept that the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, is responsible for every function of the human body. When the spine is misaligned for any reason, nerves can become pinched, compressed, or damaged. This can lead to the pain, numbness, and tingling experienced by sciatica sufferers.

At Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center, our chiropractors respond to sciatica symptoms by eliminating misalignments (also called subluxations) in the spine that are causing trauma to the sciatic nerves. Chiropractic is a drug free, non-invasive treatment for sciatica that relieves not only pain, but also the cause of pain.