Nearly everyone has heard of sciatica or has known someone that has dealt with this particular issue. Especially with how much time the average person spends sitting, it has become a more common problem. The rates have increased over time to the point that approximately 40% of all people will experience it at some point during their lifetime.
Sciatica is characterized by pain that starts in the low back or upper buttocks, that radiates down the back side of the leg and can extend into the hamstrings, back of the knee, or all the way to the foot. It is commonly described as a shooting or burning pain, numbness, tingling, or throbbing
What are some of the causes of sciatica?
There are several different causes of sciatica. This is why doing an exam is important, so that we can identify the underlying cause. The sciatic nerve is actually the largest nerve in the body and is made of a combination of 5 nerves from L4-S3. Imaging and orthopedic tests can help us narrow down where the issue is coming from.
Common causes include:
- One or more disc bulges/herniations in the low back.
- Pressure from the piriformis or other pelvic muscles that surround the
nerve. - A lesion or tumor on the nerve/surrounding tissue putting pressure directly
on the sciatic nerve. - Trauma to the spine or pelvis.
- Spinal stenosis, which is decreased space in the canal of the spine for
your spinal cord.
Treatment options:
We treat sciatica in our office all the time! Typically patients will receive our sciatica treatment protocol which consists of:
- Spinal adjustments to the low back and pelvis to remove irritation to thenervous system.
- Stretches and exercises for the muscles surrounding the low back and pelvis.
- Decompression therapy to increase space in the spinal canal, rehydrate discs, and mitigate disc bulges or herniations.
Depending on the severity, comanagement with physical therapists, pain management doctors, massage therapists, and acupuncturists may be necessary.
We are so grateful we get to serve all of you!
We wanted to take a moment and express our gratitude for all of our patients! We truly love that we get to help so many people and serve every day. The vision of chiropractic is a vision of service, of helping everyone live to the fullest with the highest level of function possible.
Your health is one of your greatest assets. If you are healthy you are capable of being there for everyone you love and doing all the activities that make life meaningful. It is the most worthwhile investment you could ever make.
