Sciatica
Conditions / Sciatica
What Is Sciatica?
Sciatica is pain down the hip and leg that starts at your lower back. The word "sciatica" comes from the latin and greek words for "pain in the hip."
Nerves emerge from your spine go to your lower body to supply feeling and movement.
This allows you to move as well as feel touch, heat, cold and pain. Anything that interferes with these nerves can create problems like sciatica.
What Symptoms Are Associated With Sciatica?
If you are suffering from sciatica then you may have nerve issues in the lumbar spine.
This means nerves from your lower back have become scraped or possibly pinched. As a result you will get pain, spasm, numbness or tingling in the specific areas of your leg related to those nerves.
In most cases, the nerve damage is mild, causing a dull ache and muscle tightness in the hip and legs. In more severe cases a disc or joint problem like arthritis can damage the nerve. This can cause tingling, weakness and numbness down the leg.
People often go to a chiropractor for the first time, having had sciatica for 10 or 20 years. If left for this long, the problems may progress to more chronic issues like lower back or hip arthritis. It may be too late to correct the problem.
What Causes Sciatica?
Sciatica is very common in people who sit a lot (even if they are otherwise active). Sitting places pressure on the hip and lower back, causing physical stress and reduced blood flow.
Moreover, daily stress can change the curve of the lower back, and scar tissue can form along the hips. Consequently, this leads to a dull ache in the hip and lower back. This can eventually worsen the nerve irritation and cause more numbness and tingling.
Severe cases usually happen in people over 40 years old. Conversely, children who sit a lot at school and at home at a computer can develop mild cases at age 8 or 9.
Sciatica Treatment
Fortunately, sciatica is one of the most common conditions treated at Una Vita Chiropractic.
Active Release Techniques is a system of techniques to improve the function of muscles, tendons and nerves. A chiropractor certified in ART will be able to improve the texture of the muscles of the hip and lower back, as well as relieve nerve problems in the lower back, hip and leg.
Chiropractic adjustments are important when treating sciatica. They restore normal alignment and movement of the lumbar spine. Sciatica is a nerve problem, and the main purpose of the chiropractic adjustment is to improve the function of the nervous system. Adjustments can be performed as needed to the hips, pelvis, lumbar spine, or wherever nerve problems are suspected.
In severe cases, Class-4 Laser Therapy can speed up healing and reduce pain. Class-4 laser is painless and treatments require only a few minutes.
Your chiropractor may also recommend exercises, stretches, ice, and topical analgesics.
Mild cases can get relief in as little as one treatment, but more advanced cases require weeks or months of care for lasting relief. In some cases, such as with disc herniation, you may need a surgical consult if you don’t improve after 8 weeks of chiropractic care.
This is a preventable health problem. We recommend regular chiropractic visits, every 1-4 weeks, to help you and your family feel and live better and prevent problems like sciatica.
