How We Can Help You Find Relief From Sciatica

What Is Sciatica? Symptoms and Causes

Sciatica is a somewhat misunderstood condition. Many people refer to any radiating pain in the back and legs as “sciatica.” In reality, sciatica only refers to pain that stems from pressure or irritation on the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica’s main symptom is pain that starts in the lower back, radiates into the buttocks, and then runs down the back of one leg into the foot, following the path of the affected sciatic nerve. Often, the leg pain will be worse than the back pain.

However, other symptoms often indicate sciatica, including the following:

• Muscle spasms in the back
• “Pins and needles” sensations in the leg and/or foot
• Numbness in the leg and/or foot
• Shooting or burning pain deep in the buttocks or legs
• Weakness in the affected leg

Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is pinched, compressed, or irritated in some way. But what causes that nerve irritation in the first place?

For most people, as it was for our recent patient, the answer is a herniated disc. Your spinal vertebrae are cushioned and protected by flexible cartilage discs (spinal discs). If one of these discs bulges or ruptures so that it irritates or pinches the sciatic nerve, you’ll experience sciatica pain.

Other medical issues (such as a bone spur, inflammation related to pregnancy, or a tumor) can also cause sciatica, but these conditions are much more rare. If you have sciatica, the chances are good you have a herniated disc — and that’s something our team can help resolve!

How Our Unique Approach Can Help With Sciatic Pain

When treating a herniated disc (and, by extension, sciatica), our team will move through the following steps:

• Manage Pain: We’ll develop a plan to address your acute pain, pulling from several options. Spinal mobilizations, massage therapy, and nerve-focused neurodynamic treatments can all help.
• Improve Mobility: Movement is crucial in addressing sciatica. Chiropractic adjustments play an important role here, allowing you to move the joint without exerting effort. We’ll also incorporate active stretches and mobility work to help ease range of motion restrictions and prepare your body for the next phase of treatment.
• Strengthen Your Back and Core: As your pain lessens, we’ll begin working to build strength in your core muscles, which stabilize and support your spine. By strengthening these muscles, you can alleviate the pressure on your lumbar spine that contributes to sciatic pain and a herniated disc.
• Educate to Prevent Future Pain: Finally, we can provide the tools to prevent a future bout of sciatica. For example, we can show you how to maintain good posture throughout your day, which can reduce your risk of injury.