What's Actually Causing Your Pain?
Sciatica, degenerative disc disease, and chronic back pain often overlap. As the discs in your spine lose some cushioning over time, nearby joints and nerves can become irritated, causing pain, numbness, or tingling that radiates into the shoulder, arm, hand, leg, or foot. That's what most people mean when they say "sciatica."
This usually isn't the result of one specific injury. It's a gradual process, and it's very treatable with the right care.
You Don't Have to Just Live With It
Most of the patients who come to me with sciatica or disc pain didn't get here overnight. It's the patient who's had a stiff lower back for years and one morning can't get out of bed without a shooting pain down the leg. It's the grandparent who's started avoiding the garden, or standing to cook dinner, because numbness in their foot makes it hard to trust their footing.
By the time most people call, they've already tried resting it out or hoping it would pass. It usually doesn't, not when the pain is coming from nerve pressure rather than a simple muscle strain.
You don't have to accept that this is just what getting older feels like. Nerve pain, numbness, and chronic back pain are common, but they aren't something you have to live with.
How I Help With Sciatica, Disc Pain & Back Pain
I'm Dr. Trace Palmer, a third-generation chiropractor and the sixth Palmer to open a practice since 1952. I don't believe in one-size-fits-all adjustments. After an exam, I choose the technique that fits you, not the other way around:
- Diversified Technique, the manual adjustment I use most often
- Thompson Technique, a gentler, table-assisted option for patients who prefer less direct pressure
- Activator Technique, a low-force option using a handheld instrument
My goal isn't just to relieve today's pain. It's to restore normal movement so the pressure causing it doesn't keep coming back.
What to Expect
Step 1: Full Evaluation
Step 2: Personalized Adjustment
Step 3: Ongoing Relief
Life After Treatment
Patients who stick with care often tell me the biggest change isn't the absence of pain. It's not thinking about their back at all.
Move Freely Again: Moving through your day without bracing for pain sounds simple, but for a lot of patients it's the first thing they notice, reaching for something on a shelf, standing up from a chair, or getting out of the car without that automatic wince.
Sleep Through the Night: Nerve pain and numbness have a way of waking people up right when they finally get comfortable. Once that pressure eases, a full night's sleep is often one of the first things patients mention getting back.
Get Back to Living: Gardening, walking the neighborhood, or keeping up with grandkids without hesitating over your footing isn't a small thing. It's usually the actual reason someone came in, even if "back pain" was the word they used to describe it.
Common questions about sciatica and back pain treatment in Richmond Hill, GA
Regular back pain usually stays in your lower back. Sciatica specifically involves nerve irritation that sends pain, numbness, or tingling down through the hip, leg, or foot. If you feel it below your knee, that's usually a sign of nerve involvement.
Yes. Chiropractic care can't reverse disc degeneration, but it can improve joint mobility, take pressure off irritated nerves, and reduce the muscle guarding that often makes the pain worse.
Palmer Chiropractic is in-network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Anthem, Medicare, and VA Community Care, among others. Bring your card to your first visit and we'll verify your coverage.
It depends on how long you've had symptoms and how they respond to care. Many patients notice a change within the first few visits, though I'll give you a realistic timeline after your evaluation.
For most patients, yes. I'll review your history and symptoms first, and adjust my approach, or refer you out, if anything about your case needs a different kind of care.
Ready to Stop Working Around the Pain?
You don't have to keep adjusting your life around sciatica, disc pain, or a back that won't cooperate. I've been helping Richmond Hill patients move better for over 30 years, and I'd like to help you too.
