The sciatic nerve branches from your lower back, through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. The term sciatica refers to the pain, tingling, numbness or weakness that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, typically only affecting one side of the body. Sciatica is not a condition, it is a symptom of a medical condition, most commonly in the lower back.
Common lower back conditions that cause sciatica:
- Herniated Disc
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Bone Spur
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spinal Stenosis (narrowing of the spine compressing part of the nerve)
Common sciatica symptoms:
- Constant pain in one side of the buttock or leg and/or foot and toes
- Pain that is worse when sitting
- Burning or tingling leg pain
- Numbness, tingling or muscle weakness down one leg and/or foot and toes
- Sharp pain
- Difficulty standing or walking
- Pain radiating down the leg and/or foot and toes
Treatments
The most common treatment for sciatica is Spinal Manipulation or Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS). In addition to Chiropractic adjustments, we can recommend Laser Therapy, Myofascial Release Therapy and Neuromuscular Reeducation (NMR), to aid in your recovery.