About Sciatica

Sciatica is one of the most common ailments chiropractors see.

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a condition where the patient has pain in their leg. The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the body. When the sciatic nerve is compromised in any way, the resulting pain affects all of the muscles connected to it, causing a radiating pain that originates in the lower back and runs down the leg to the foot.

Causes and symptoms

There are many reasons for sciatic pain. The major cause is from a lumbar disc herniation, which is when there is a rupture of the disc supporting the lumbar vertebrae in the lower spine. This can cause the disc to press on the sciatic nerve. Additionally, you may experience sciatica from tight Glutes or Piriformis muscle, which can easily be treated by a chiropractor.

Other causes of sciatica include spinal and disc degeneration due to age, arthritis, or a slipped disc.

The symptoms of sciatica are radiating pain affecting the leg and foot and can include a lack of sensation and difficulty in movement of the legs and sharp pain when standing or walking.

Treatment

Flexion-distraction is one of the more commonly used techniques to deal with lower back pain and pain in the leg, as it stimulates spinal decompression by opening up disc space, allowing more room for nerve roots and stretching lower back musculature to relieve pressure.

Spinal decompression is often used for cases that don’t respond to traditional methods. We also offer ergonomic advice and at-home therapies that patients can incorporate to alleviate the pain outside the office.

Sciatic pain is a condition that a chiropractor can help alleviate and manage, often after a few weeks of treatment, the pain goes away.