Sciatica

Sciatica

Sciatica is a condition characterized by pain going down the sciatic nerve pathway which runs from the leg to the lower back. The most frequent cause of sciatica is a spinal disc herniation, which puts pressure on the sciatic nerve and is present in about 90% of cases.

There are various signs of sciatica:

Sciatica can be an extremely debilitating condition that can affect everyday activities. Chronic and acute pain can disrupt sleep and everyday activities. Sciatica typically affects only one side of the body and classic symptoms include pain radiating down the back of the leg from the buttocks region. Many people find that living with sciatica can unbearable at times, but the symptoms can be alleviated or reduced.

Other common symptoms of sciatica include:

• Pain in the back, buttocks, hip or lower extremities
• Leg and or foot numbness
• Pins and needles in the legs and buttocks
• Burning sensation
• Muscle weakness

How Chiropractic Can Help

Here at Clearview Family Chiropractic, we want to first determine what primary factors are causing your sciatica pain through a proper examination and structural radiographs if necessary to locate the underlying cause of your sciatica pain rather than masking the secondary symptoms. One common cause for sciatica pain is abnormal positioning of the lower lumbar spine (low back) as well as the sacroiliac joint (tailbone and pelvis or SI Joint). A misalignment or subluxation in this region can affect the muscles, ligaments and tendons or even more importantly, cause tension, irritation and inflammation to the surrounding nerves creating a disruption in the nerve pathways between the brain and body leading to many different types of secondary symptoms often referred to as sciatica. If it is determined that we can help you, we utilize gentle Chiropractic adjustments as well as educating on exercises, stretches and proper postural techniques to help align the spine, SI joint and hips which can aid in pain reduction and more importantly take pressure off the nerves and allow the nervous system to function optimally. Depending on the severity of the condition and taking previous ailments and other limiting factors into consideration often times our patients begin to see results in just a few visits however it is important to maintain a healthy spine as it is the major protection mechanism for the central nervous system which is vital to ones overall health.