What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a common medical condition that involves nerve pain from an injury or irritation to your sciatic nerve. Sciatica occurs when surrounding tissue puts pressure on this nerve, and often manifests as shooting pain, numbness, weakness, or tingling in your back or buttocks that may also radiate down your leg.
These symptoms can be debilitating, but you don’t have to live with them forever. In this article, we’ll talk about the causes and symptoms of sciatica, as well as how a chiropractor can help relieve your pain and get you back on your feet again.
Signs and Symptoms
If you are experiencing sciatica, you may experience mild to severe pain anywhere with nerves that connect to the sciatic nerve.
Here are a few of the typical symptoms of sciatica:
- Pain in the lower back that may radiate to the buttocks, hips, and down the leg.
- Numbness or weakness in one leg.
- Difficulty moving the leg or foot.
- Painful spasms of muscles at night. These are often called “sciatic jags.”
The Causes of Sciatica
Sciatica itself is a symptom of an underlying condition that puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Herniated, or slipped spinal discs
- Tightened or strained muscles
- Severe muscle spasms
- Prolonged sitting and/or bad posture
- Wearing high heels
- Pregnancy
- Injury or trauma
How can chiropractors help with sciatica?
Chiropractors can provide all kinds of treatments to address sciatic pain by relieving pressure on nerves in the spine. Another helpful treatment option is spinal decompression, which involves gently removing fluid between vertebrae to reduce inflammation around nerve roots.
Also, a chiropractor may also use physical therapy exercises, medications, ice packs or other treatments like massage therapy sessions if needed.
If you are suffering from sciatica in the Littleton area, find out how a chiropractor can help. Click here to learn more about our chiropractic services.
Dr. Lindsey fully believes that as her role in a doctor is to be a health coach, giving her clients the tools and knowledge to make the best educated decisions for their health and the health of their families. The body was not made to break down, it was created to thrive and adapt to its environment.
Being a native of Colorado, Dr. Lindsey loves to hike, bike, camp, dance, and travel often, but her main mission is to change the way her community views and manages their health, both physically and mentally, across all generations. Her vision is to see less pharmacies, and more farmer’s markets; less medication and more meditation; less sick days and more family days; less pain and more love.