Did you know that the sciatic nerve will be the longest nerve in the body? It runs out of your pelvis, by your hip area and buttocks and down each leg. The sciatic nerve branches into smaller nerves because it travels around the legs providing feeling for your thighs, legs, and feet as well as controlling many of the muscles in your own legs. The term sciatica refers to pain that radiates across the path of this nerve.
Pain in your low back radiating around the leg can be sciatica. Chiropractic is the treatment of choice.
What causes Sciatica?
Sciatica radiculopathy is really a sign you have an actual problem putting pressure on the nerve in your back. The most typical reason for this nerve compression is the bulging or herniated dics of the lumbar spine. Piriformis syndrome is an additional common reason for sciatica. The piriformis is positioned over the sciatic nerve. If the muscle becomes tight or if you have a spasm with this muscle, it puts pressure directly on the sciatic nerve. Occasionally, sciatic pain in men is due to sitting on a wallet.
How do I know if I do have sciatica?
Radiating pain from the lower (lumbar) spine towards your buttock and around the back of your leg would be the hallmark of sciatica. Sciatica could be associated with numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness within the affected leg. This pain could vary widely, from the mild ache with a sharp, burning sensation or excruciating discomfort. Sometimes it may feel like a jolt or electric shock. Sciatic nerve pain often starts gradually and intensifies after some time. It’s likely to be worse whenever you sit, cough or sneeze.
How can you treat sciatica?
The vast majority of the moment, sciatic pain can be relieved by having a combination of stretches, deep tissue massage from the piriformis muscle and chiropractic care. Occasionally, in instances where chronic spasm on the back or piriformis muscles is causing the sciatic nerve pain, it may be necessary to do a procedure known as a trigger point injection, where the medical pain specialist injects a small amount of anesthetic directly into a spasmed muscle to break the spasm cycle. However, that is typically unnecessary.
Call the Back Pain Relief Clinics today if you are suffering with sciatica.