If you are experiencing pain that radiates from the back or buttocks all the way down the legs, you may have a common condition called sciatica. Many people with sciatica seek help from our doctors of chiropractic. However, many others never find a long term solution. An untreated sciatic condition can continue to worsen and make the daily tasks of living go from difficult to impossible.
This article is aimed at helping you to understand sciatica and explains how chiropractic treatment can help you to overcome it.
What Is Sciaticia?
Sciatica, which is also known as sciatic neuralgia, is a condition that causes pain in the lower back, down the back of the leg, and into the foot. It can make sitting and standing for long periods of time difficult and can lead to weakness, tingling, and numbness in the leg and foot. It will often come and go throughout a person's lifetime, causing periods of varying degrees of pain and discomfort. If left unchecked, sciatic pain will generally grow worse and the nerve can become permanently injured.
The reason why the pain travels so far, seems to radiate up and down the legs and back, is because it is caused by the compression of the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body. This nerve originates in the lumbar spine and extends into the buttocks before traveling down the leg to the ankle and foot. When the vertebrae in the low back are compressed, the roots of the sciatic nerve can become pinched and irritated which is what causes the pain and injury.
How Do You Develop Sciatica?
There are a number of factors that can lead to sciatica. It is most commonly caused by disc injuries and bulges. In this occurrence, the disc presses against the nerve root causing the issue. Disc Injuries can occur because of poor posture, repetitive use injuries, and accidents. Sciatica is also common when there are subluxations (misalignments or joint restrictions) in the spine due to postural issues, pregnancy, or trauma. Some patients say they simply bent over to pick up a piece of paper and they were hit with extreme pain. The reality is that the spinal condition was probably developing for quite some time before the triggering incident occurred.
Chiropractic Care for Sciatica
Our award-winning chiropractors are trained to isolate the source of sciatica pain and present you the best treatment options. With a complete evaluation, chiropractors will apply careful adjustments to properly align your spine and provide relief for sciatica pain.
Recovery time varies on the severity of the sciatica and the amount of correction that needs to be done. A longer persisting condition will most likely require a longer recovery timetable. To end on a positive note, it usually requires less time to adjust and recover than it took to create the condition. A healthier body is often a result of spine and disc improvements.
Don't let sciatic pain stop you from doing what you love, contact the Chiropractic Company team today to discovery how we can help reduce or eliminate your sciatic pain.