1. What is Sciatica?
Sciatica pain is pain in the sciatic nerve, the longest and thickest nerve in the human
body.This nerve serves the legs and originates from several levels of the lower back.
Formed by multiple nerve roots from the lumbar spine; the sciatic nerve sends signals
down the leg to control muscles and up the leg to provide sensations.The sciatic nerve
branches into smaller nerves as it travels down the legs providing feeling to your thighs
and feet as well.The term sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of this
nerve.When the nerve is pinched or inflamed, a person can experience severe pain.Most of
the time, what is called a pinched nerve is actually an irritated, or inflamed nerve where the
nerve itself is not actually pinched. In most cases, nerves become irritated and inflamed
when the bones, joints or muscles of the spine are not in their proper position, or are not
moving properly. This condition is called a “subluxation”, the treatment of which is the
specialty of the doctor of chiropractic. The "Journal of the American Chiropractic
Association" says a substantial number of chiropractic patients complain of sciatica pain.
Untreated sciatica can lead to decreased muscle strength, decreased muscle size and
problems with walking. Those of you who have experienced sciatica pain know that it can
make life unbearable, uncomfortable and overall joyless.
Sciatica is actually a sign that you have an underlying problem putting pressure on a nerve
in your lower back. The most common cause of this nerve compression is a bulging or
herniated lumbar disc. Piriformis syndrome is another common cause of sciatica. The
piriformis is a muscle that lies directly over the sciatic nerve. If this muscle becomes tight
or if you have a spasm in this muscle, it puts pressure directly on the sciatic nerve.
Occasionally, sciatic pain in men is caused by sitting on a wallet.
Pain that radiates from your lower (lumbar) spine to your buttock and down the back of
your leg is the hallmark of sciatica. Sciatica may be accompanied by numbness, tingling, and
muscle weakness in the affected leg. This pain can vary widely, from a mild ache to a sharp,
burning sensation or excruciating discomfort. Sometimes it may feel like a jolt or electric
shock. Sciatic pain often starts gradually and intensifies over time.
A spinal adjustment is a type of procedure a chiropractor uses to correct misaligned
vertebrae that often contribute to the inflammation and pain caused by sciatica.
Chiropractic care is usually centered around spinal adjustments. The patient lies on a
special table that can rotate up and down, and the chiropractor applies both strong and
gentle thrusts and pressure to the spine. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce pressure
on the sciatic nerve and improve spinal function while reducing the pain caused by
inflammation. The vast majority of the time, sciatic pain can be relieved through a
combination of stretches, deep tissue massage of the piriformis muscle and chiropractic
care.