CHRIO - WORKED FOR ME! Hope you have the same success
Unfortunately, traditional medical providers are neither trained on the correlation of health and wellbeing that results from structural alignment, nor the benefit of this treatment for back pain.
BE CAREFUL, and do you research. Ask your chriro-person if they practice the "Gonstead" technique, and if they say "yes", as them to explain the benefits. Their answer should be something along the line that the generally taught school of chiropractic is based in TWISITING, which can cause DAMAGE to the musculoskeletal system. The Gonstead Method is an extension of chiropractic based on the mechanical principles of structural engineering, and relies on weight-bearing X-ray films - in a nutshell, your chiropractor should be PUSHING THROUGH on a tangential axis, and NOT TWISTING you.
I developed acute, debilitating SCIATIA pain that was not effectively reduced by drugs or acupuncture, and steroids were not on my 'acceptable treatment' list. X-Rays showed that my L5 was out about ¼", basically pushing back into the nerve canal pinching the sciatic nerve. Dr Pastermac's signature move is a direct manipulation that pops the pelvis and then L5 back into place like a 1-2 punch, and in an instant, the pain is gone.
However, if you are like me, you feel greatly relieved after the adjustment, then head back to the office to sit down in that same chair that is probably a major contributor of the problem, and the bones slip back, and a few hours later, you are back in pain.
The reality is that my postural misalignment has been 'building to a crescendo' for years, and it took some time to get the adjustments to 'stick'. I went in TWICE A DAY for a couple months, before tapering off. (a) what is the point of being in unnecessary pain, and (b) I wanted my body to know that I am seriously committed to its realignment. this is a combination of art and science, and something that Pastermac does very well.
REGARGING X-RAYS, the doc needs to see your structure if you are going to be able to embark on a plan of structural realignment. imo, Pastermac priced his x-rays reasonably. If you go elsewhere, argue about the price. An x-ray set should not cost you more than a hundred bucks or so. Remember, this is age-old, dirt-cheap technology.
YOUR BUDGET. If your doc wants a $600 initial visit fee for x-rays and your first exam, imo, you are definitely in the wrong place. The goal here is basic structural maintenance, Suggest you find a practitioner that enjoys their work and can setup a plan for you that is reasonable for your budget. Keep in mind that you will need a LOT of adjustments, so my suggestion is to negotiate an 'all you can eat' plan. At the end of the day, you need lots of adjustments at the outset to get the process started. If you walk in with PAIN, I strongly suggest you do not walk out with another appointment a week later ... stay on it - frequently and often - until the pain drops from acute to just discomfort, then take a break for the body to 'reset' and start another cycle, albeit less often.
MEDS. Regarding drugs, ibuprofen is the drug of choice for sciatica, and, btw, you do not need a prescription for the 600's or 800's, as ibuprofen is ibuprofen, just take 3 or 4 200 mg advil ... it is the same. Stay away from alcohol while on ibuprofen, and get off of it as soon as possible.
BACK BRACE. There is lots of discussion on this topic, all the way up to major and significant studies reported by the NLM (national library of medicine). Bottom line is like 50/50, some people get relief, some do not. In my case, sitting with the brace on definitely helps to reduce the pain both while sitting and driving. If you are in pain, I suggest you give it a try, but as with the meds, get off as quickly as possible to avoid dependency.
Chiropractic Care
60% of people with sciatica who didn't get relief from other therapies and then tried spinal manipulation experienced the same degree of pain relief as patients who eventually had surgery... The 120 people in the study saw a chiropractor about 3 times a week for 4 weeks, and then continued weekly visits, tapering off treatment as they felt better. http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/best-treatments-sciatic-nerve-pain
Bottom line, for me, is that chiro worked to alleviate my sciatia pain, and Pastermac is both skilled and reasonably priced. Strongly suggest you give him a try. read more