A searing pain that runs from your lower back, along your buttock, and down the back part of your leg is often the most obvious sign of sciatica. The pain can be slight or acute and may be accompanied by a burning sensation, numbness, weakness and tingling down one of your legs. Regardless of the degree of pain, our Mooresville chiropractor can provide an individualized treatment plan that can help alleviate the pain and correct the underlying issue causing the pain in the first place.Sciatica is caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve, which starts at your pelvis and travels through the hip and buttock areas until it reaches your legs. This longest nerve in the body then branches out into smaller nerves that travel down into your legs. The pain-causing pressure on the nerve is commonly caused by a disc herniation, although the pressure can also come from the pressing down of the piriformis, which is the muscle directly over the sciatic nerve. One more cause that is less common but still possible is pressure from people sitting on wallets placed in their back pocket.
Sciatica Treatments Include Decompression, Stretches, Massage Therapy
Our chiropractor offers several treatments that are effective for sciatica with each treatment plan tailored to treat the exact cause and nature of the condition. When the pain is caused by a bulging or herniated disc, spinal decompression can be effective in alleviating the pressure and therefore the pain. If the pain is caused by pressure from the overlying muscle, deep tissue massage therapy can help correct the underlying cause of the problem. Stretching exercises are also often effective as another component in our sciatica treatment plans.
The first step in any treatment plan is a full examination and evaluation at which time we can determine the cause of the pain and tailor a plan that most effectively brings you relief.
Have you or anyone you know suffered from sciatica? How was it treated?