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Sciatica

By January 26, 2022February 2nd, 2022No Comments

The sciatic nerve begins at the lower back and travels down the back of the thigh and down the rest of the leg.

Sciatica is the pain that comes from this major nerve becoming compressed in some way. It most commonly arises from a herniated disk, a bone spur on the spine, or spinal stenosis compressing the sciatic nerve. Symptoms of sciatica include pain and sometimes numbness or tingling radiating from the lower back following the nerve pathway, and it usually only affects one side. Pain levels vary depending on how severe the nerve is being pinched.

It is important to note that sciatica is not a medical diagnosis, but rather a set of symptoms caused by an underlying medical condition such as a herniated disk, lumbar spinal stenosis, lumbar degenerative disk disease, spondylolisthesis, muscle spasms, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, or a rare tumor or blood clots. People often recover from sciatica without treatment, but it has the potential to cause permanent nerve damage.

The Chiropractic Spine Center treats sciatic pain through proper diagnosis to treat the cause, whether it’s disc, muscle, or bony involvement.

We provide individualized exercise and physical therapy plans along with spinal manipulation to help take pressure off the sciatic nerve and bring the lower back to full health. Regular exercise and stretching to strengthen the area and maintain a healthy range of motion helps to prevent sciatic pain. It’s a good idea to have proper posture when sitting in general, but especially for sciatic pain prevention. Having good lower back support, armrests, and keeping hips and knees level when sitting is important in this scenario. If you are experiencing a loss of feeling or sudden severe pain in your lower back or leg or sudden urinary incontinence, please seek immediate medical attention.