The weeks and months after a car accident can be stressful enough as you work out all the details around getting your car repaired and working with your insurance company. Add on an injury and lingering back pain to that experience and you are likely feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. After a car accident, it can take hours or even days for all the symptoms of an injury to appear. These delayed symptoms and effects of the car accident can put pressure on your sciatic nerve, causing shooting pain through your buttocks and down to your toes. A car accident injury chiropractor can help address the root cause of your sciatica so you can experience symptom relief and avoid chronic back pain.
Diagnosing Sciatica After a Car Accident
The sciatic nerve is located in your lower back and sends signals through your buttocks and down to your legs and feet. A general rule of thumb for car accident injuries is that if your car suffered any damage then it’s likely that your body did too. That’s why you should always see a car accident injury chiropractor after you’ve been in a wreck. Car accident doctors are highly skilled and knowledgeable in identifying hidden or delayed symptoms and diagnosing a wide range of car accident injuries.
Sciatica refers to a specific type of pain when the sciatic nerve is injured or damaged. If you are experiencing constant pain in your lower back, especially if it affects one side of your buttocks and leg, then your doctor may diagnose you with sciatica. Other common symptoms of sciatica include a tingling or burning sensation, typically only affecting one leg. This pain may get worse when you go from sitting to standing or vice versa. You may also notice weakness or numbness in the painful leg and even have difficulty moving your leg and foot.
How a Car Accident Can Lead to Sciatica
One of the most common ways a car accident can lead to sciatica is through a car accident injury that causes a pinched nerve. A herniated disc refers to a type of injury where the spinal disc that separates two vertebrae in your spine is jostled out of place and puts pressure on a nearby nerve. This can occur due to the severe impact of the collision or how your body was shaken up during the accident. The stress and strain on your back can also put pressure on the spinal discs and your vertebrae, affecting the nerves that surround them, like the sciatic nerve.
Back injuries are common with car accidents and when the spine is damaged it can affect nerves because the spinal column houses the nervous system. When nerves are pinched or compressed, it affects their functioning and they may send tingling sensations and cause numbness. Lower back injuries can lead to sciatica because of where the sciatic nerve is located in your lower back. An untreated lower back injury can also lead to chronic lower back pain and sciatica.
Treating Sciatica Caused by a Car Accident
Whether or not you have started noticing symptoms, you should visit a car accident injury chiropractor as soon as you can after you’ve been in a wreck. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of sciatica or other types of back pain and discomfort, talk to your doctor about when you first noticed these symptoms, how long they occur, and the severity. This can help your chiropractor establish an accurate diagnosis and begin a treatment plan to address the root cause of your pain and symptoms. Your chiropractor may also want to schedule diagnostic imaging, like an x-ray, MRI, or CT scan, to get a clearer picture of the affected area. Car accident injury chiropractors treat sciatica through natural, non-invasive treatment methods including chiropractic adjustments, ultrasound, and therapeutic massage.
Chiropractic Care for Sciatica
At AICA Orthopedics, our team of car accident injury chiropractors will always start with the most conservative and non-invasive treatment approaches to address your injury and sciatica. In more serious cases, your chiropractor may work alongside a team of other AICA car accident doctors to discuss less conservative treatment approaches and whether or not surgery is recommended. Our team of car accident doctors is committed to providing you with individualized treatment and comprehensive care so you can experience relief from sciatica.
