Why is sciatica so prevalent in pregnancy?

There is this idea that pregnancy causes sciatica; there are even strange theories out there which purport that the baby somehow presses directly on the sciatic nerve. And while we can assure you that this is not the case, we do agree that there is a strong correlation between pregnancy and sciatica, particularly in the third trimester. The fact is, pregnancy breeds a perfect set of conditions for nerve impingement: 

• Shifting center of gravity
• Added weight of the child
• Less activity
• Loose ligaments in the pelvis which breeds instability in the lower back
• Poor posture.

In this scenario, there is a good chance that your muscles are becoming strained and pulling your body out of alignment; this is when nerve impingement happens. When this impingement happens to occur to the sciatic nerve, sciatica symptoms develop, including: 

• Burning, shooting pain in the lower back, usually isolated on one side 
• Pain in the buttocks and lower extremities
• Numbness and tingling in the back and lower extremities

After a workout, don’t leave your body short-handed

When it comes to reaching peak performance, recovery is just as important as training. The true athlete has to strike the finest of balances between pushing their body and giving it the time it needs to recover. Due to the intensity of exercise, an effective rest can be the difference between getting back on the horse the next day or having to take a day off because you are too sore. So where does sports massage come in? Sports massage is about maximizing the efficiency of your rest periods. Let’s take a look at how this works. 

The many benefits of acupuncture for seniors

Let’s face it: old age is uncomfortable; we are lucky if we just get away with aches and pains. As our bodies age, we begin to slow down and spinal degeneration sets in: conditions like spinal stenosis and arthritis can cause debilitating pain and cause us to feel less able. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture of Park Slope, we believe in taking a proactive approach to aging. That means identifying the factors that slow us down and facing them head on. Acupuncture is a tool that helps you do just that. Read on to find out how. 

Arthritis demands serious relief

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a debilitating autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks and destroys its own beneficial tissue, including the cartilage that supports your joints. The resulting loss of mobility and weakness creates a condition that breeds pain and discomfort. Autoimmune disorders are hard to come to grips with and even harder to treat effectively because we still don’t know what triggers the body’s immune system response to attack healthy tissue. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture of Park Slope, we have been using natural modalities to help RA sufferers manage their pain and live well despite their condition. Let’s take a look at how acupuncture helps manage RA symptoms.