Sciatica, Stenosis and Bad Discs. Is the Answer Integrative Neurology?

The combination of alternative and complimentary medical techniques, like acupuncture and chiropractic with the traditional medical specialty of neurology, is called Integrative Neurology. Pain or numbness in the feet, legs, hip and back occurs frequently and there are a number of reasons for it. The most common are spinal stenosis, sciatica, pinched nerves and neuropathy.

Despite billions of dollars spent on research of these conditions, no one single method has emerged as the superior treatment for them. Thankfully, they do typically respond well to a combination of therapies. Most often, a patient who complains of pain and or tingling in the hips, buttocks, thigh or legs, is suffering from a nerve problem. Because stenosis, sciatica and neuropathy involve the nerves of the lower extremities, Integrative Neurology is an ideal method of treatment.

Remember that the symptoms may be similar, but the cause of those symptoms varies greatly.

For example, the nerve injury in sciatica is in an entirely different location than say the nerve irritation in piriformis syndrome. Likewise, both tarsal tunnel syndrome and neuropathy can involve the nerves of the far end of the leg, but one is an entrapped nerve, the other a nerve disease.

So it should be clear that to effectively treat numbness in the legs and feet or pain in the hip, back or thigh, determining the exact location and reason for the nerve problem is essential. It is unlikely that effective treatment of lower back and leg symptoms is possible until the location and cause of the symptoms is first identified. The take home point I am trying to make to you is that there are many different conditions that produce very similar symptoms, to find relief the number one step is ALWAYS to determine exactly where and why the nerves are being irritated.

The Integrative Neurologist combines these diagnostic skills with a wide array of treatment options. For example piriformis syndrome and tarsal tunnel syndrome require a decompression-type therapy. Adding high voltage galvanic nerve stimulation can often help damaged nerves to repair while suppressing pain. Supplementing the diet with specific nutrients may also promote nerve re-growth. A specific follow-up exercise program based on a patient's MRI results offers the best chance for long lasting improvements. Integrative Neurology is the ideal specialty to both diagnose and determine effective treatments for all the conditions that cause foot, leg, hip and back symptoms. A combined, individually created, Integrative Neurology treatment program is the best way to quickly find and fix the cause of pain or numbness in the back and lower extremities.

Dr. George Kukurin holds a license to practice chiropractic medicine in the states of Arizona, Pennsylvania and California. He is also licensed to practice acupuncture by the state of Arizona. Dr. Kukurin is a Diplomat with the American Chiropractic Academy of Neurology (DACAN). To attain this prestigious status he was required to attend an approved three year post-graduate program in neurology, which is the study of the brain, spinal cord and nerves.

He completed his post-graduate neurology training through the Parker College in Dallas Texas. Upon completion of this training, Dr. Kukurin had to pass a two-day long rigorous board examination. He scored in the upper 5% of his class on these examinations, obtaining a 100% perfect score on the clinical portion of the testing. To maintain elite status with the Board of Chiropractic Neurologists; Diplomat Neurologists, like Dr. Kukurin, must keep their knowledge and skills of neurology updated by attending a minimum of 30 hours of post-graduate training in neurology every year from an approved and accredited neurology program.

Dr. Kukurin has also received post-graduate education from a number of leading med