This article shares advice on how to explore sciatica with your patients, discuss the underlying conditions, create an in-office treatment plan and send them home with safe, at-home pain management techniques.
As a doctor of chiropractic, you like hear the term sciatica frequently in your daily routine. For patients who might be unfamiliar with this set of symptoms, the mention of it can be frightening. Creating an approachable and actionable plan for how you educate, create a dialogue and design a treatment plan all begins with how you communicate with your patients.
Discuss the underlying condition first
Though many of your patients have likely heard the term sciatica before, it’s likely they don’t have a full understanding of what it means. That means it’s important to go through an education process with them before jumping directly into treatment plans.
When discussing sciatica with your patients, explain the basics and cover the important fundamentals, such as:
- Sciatica is not a condition, but a set of symptoms.
- Sciatica pain feels different for everyone; it could be dull, sharp, consistent or irregular.
- Sciatica has a number of causes like herniated discs, pregnancy, tumors, injury and more.
- Sciatica can improve on its own but often requires intervention.
Explore sciatica treatment options
According to one study published by the National Library of Medicine, chiropractic treatment has long been a reliable management option for pain relief for acute back pain and sciatica. This randomized, double-blind trial determined that patients with sciatic nerve pain found that active manipulations had more of an effect than simulated manipulations.
Further, The European Spine Journal published findings from a clinical trial stating that chiropractic adjustments resulted in a 72% success rate in treating symptoms related to sciatica.
After educating your patients on the basics of sciatica, creating a customized treatment plan is the next step.
Consider their unique causes, pain points and goals to establish an in-office, recurring treatment plan that could include options like:
- Spinal adjustments/active manipulation
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Ice/cold therapies
- Chiropractic massage
It’s important to remind your patients that routine chiropractic care won’t just help them manage pain as a result of sciatica, but will also aid in preventing future sciatic flare-ups.
Create an at-home pain management plan for sciatica patients
Though you should make it clear to your patients that regular visits to your office are the correct way to deal with and mitigate sciatica pain, it’s also important to advise them on how to manage pain at home when they’re unable to come to your office.
Creating a hands-on at-home sciatica plan alongside your patients will ensure they’re not left guessing when dealing with pain outside the office. Further, providing them with actionable steps to take to manage pain will prevent them from potentially engaging in treatment that might increase their pain or make their sciatica much worse.
Consider offering suggestions to your patients for at-home sciatica treatment, such as:
- Alternating between cold compresses and heat to help ease pain caused by sciatica. It’s important to offer them specific instructions on when and how long to use ice versus when to switch to and how long to use heat.
- Engaging in appropriate movement that might help relieve pain, stimulate blood flow and improve muscle support to the spine.
- Implementing specific stretches into their daily routine to improve spinal flexibility and range of motion for further spine support.
Final thoughts
Giving your patients simple, specific at-home treatment suggestions for their sciatica will help them in between appointments with you and during times they are unable to make it to your office. These options, such as hot and cold compresses, stretches and exercises, empower them to take charge of their pain and will support the hands-on work you do with them during clinical encounters.
For more information about updated treatment techniques, patient communication advice and practice-boosting ideas, check out Chiropractic Economics magazine.
