Sciatica

If you have ever experienced a shooting, burning, or tingling pain down your back, hip, buttock, and/or one or both legs, you are probably suffering from what is commonly known as sciatica. While sciatica is technically a set of symptoms it is often thought of as the diagnosis or condition itself.

It is a frustrating and sometimes incapacitating pain that can interfere greatly with participation in and enjoyment of life’s daily activities. As sitting is an irritating factor, it can make work and other seated activities very uncomfortable. It can also affect your ability to get a good night’s sleep.

What is Sciatica?

In the simplest of terms, it is pain in your hip, buttock, or along your leg that results from pressure and/or irritation of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in your body.

You actually have two sciatic nerves that originate in your low back and then travel down the length of both your right and left legs. While usually sciatica is felt on one side it can show up in both legs simultaneously. The pain can be felt at any point along the nerve down to your feet.

Sciatica is a condition that affects more than 3 million people annually in the United States and can vary in intensity from a dull ache to sharp, debilitating pain. For some, the pain is marked by a burning sensation. For others, numbness and tingling accompany the pain.

What are the symptoms of Sciatica?

Lower back pain
Pain in the buttock or leg that is worse when sitting
Hip pain
Burning or tingling down the leg
Weakness, numbness, or a hard time moving the leg or foot
A constant pain on one side of the buttock
A shooting pain that makes it hard to stand up

What causes Sciatica?

There are a number of spinal issues that can put pressure or cause irritation of the sciatic nerve resulting in sciatica. These include:

A bulging or herniated disc in the low back
Bone spurs
A narrowing of the spinal canal in the low back (Spinal Stenosis)
A spinal vertebra that has slipped forward over another vertebra (Spondylolisthesis)
Degenerative disc disease which reduces the cushioning between the vertebrae
Pregnancy
Muscle spasms in the flat, band-like muscle in the buttock near the top of the hip joint that is important for lower body movement (Piriformis Syndrome)

While these are the most common causes of sciatica, other issues make you more susceptible to experiencing sciatica. These include being overweight, not exercising regularly, wearing high heels, sleeping on a mattress that is too hard or too soft, smoking, improper lifting of heavy items, or a job that requires sitting or driving for long periods of time.

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How does chiropractic care help relieve sciatic pain?

A complete Chiropractic/Orthopedic exam, often including an x-ray, is the first step to determining what is causing your sciatica. Once the specific cause has been identified, an individual care plan can be created to help provide relief.

Your care plan will include chiropractic therapy in the form of chiropractic adjustments as well as other therapies, especially flexion/distraction and decompression therapy, designed to aid in the healing process.

As some lifestyle issues may put you at risk for recurring sciatica, Dr. Alexander can make some recommendations to reduce that risk.

What is a chiropractic adjustment, and how does it help?

Chiropractic adjustments are a type of therapy that applies a specific, quick pressure to exact spots on the spine to realign vertebrae to their proper position. Returning the vertebrae to their correct position takes the pressure off surrounding nerves and muscles. This helps relieve the pain caused by irritation to the large sciatic nerve that runs down the entire length of your leg.

Dr. Alexander does either manual adjusting or uses either an Activator or an Arthrostim, which are both specially designed adjusting instruments.

Care Plan Therapies

Cox Flexion/Distraction and Decompression

Spinal Decompression is an advancement in traction technology used primarily to treat disc problems in the lower back. It is done on a specially designed table. This unique approach allows fluids to enter the disc, restoring function and motion to the spine.

Ice Therapy (Cryotherapy)

Ice therapy is a natural and therapeutic way to help reduce inflammation and provide temporary pain relief. It works by reducing blood flow to a particular area, which can significantly reduce inflammation and swelling that causes pain. It can also temporarily reduce nerve activity, which can also help relieve pain.

Low Light Laser Therapy

Low Light laser therapy is designed to deliver specific light energy to nerve cells in order to reduce pain and inflammation. This light energy stimulates the healing process in the cells of the irritated and inflamed sciatic nerves which is key to recovering from sciatica.

Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasound is another therapeutic treatment used to create a heat response in tissues using high-frequency sound waves. The rise in temperature increases blood flow, relaxes muscle spasms, helps relieve irritation and inflammation in sciatic nerves, and speeds the healing process.

When to See a Chiropractor for Sciatica

If you experience pain in your low back that runs down your buttocks, hip, or leg after exercising, sleeping, working long hours or engaging in a sports activity, or other activities, first try resting and putting ice on the affected area. If you are still suffering from sciatic pain after a day or two, make an appointment to get relief.
If you experience pain,numbness, weakness or tingling in your buttock, hip, or down your leg, call us to set up an appointment to determine the cause of these symptoms.
Set up an appointment as soon as possible if you have been experiencing chronic sciatic pain to begin relief care.
If you have been involved in an automobile accident, even a minor fender bender, and are feeling back, hip, or leg pain, make sure to get checked out by Dr. Alexander as soon as possible. Even a very low-speed accident can result in an injury leading to sciatica. Uncorrected these injuries can cause long term problems.

Sciatica Relief from my Lawrenceville Chiropractor

When I first came to see Dr. Alexander, I had low back pain and nerve tingling and spasms down my right leg. After several weeks of distraction therapy, the back pain has subsided and the nerve symptoms in my leg are gone. I look forward to continued progress and strengthening and am excited that I have been able to enjoy more strenuous outdoor activity.

– Casey J. // Lawrenceville, Ga.

When I came in I was hurting all over and had almost lost hope of being well again. But now I am virtually pain-free! No more plantar fasciitis or sciatica. I was in terrible pain with peripheral neuropathy in my feet but Dr. Ray and his staff have been fantastic in helping with that. I am in great shape from head to toe – literally!! This is a great place – Very caring and understanding – and best of all, I always feel better when I leave.

– Vickie H. // Lawrenceville, Ga

After two years of constant pain & not knowing what to do to cure it, I was introduced to Dr. Alexander. After 2 ½ month of chiropractic care, I’m almost free from back & leg pain. I am able to do things that I thought I’d never get to enjoy doing ever again, like walking my two dogs through park, hiking Stone Mountain, & simple things like getting out of bed without being in excruciating pain. Dr. Alexander is a miracle worker! I am forever thankful for him & his team.

– Neecy D. // Lilburn, Ga

When I first came to see Dr. Alexander my lower back was really bothering me. It was stiff and I couldn’t move very fast. The pain was starting to go down my right leg. This was starting to give me a slight limp. Now after Dr. Alexander’s adjustments he has straightened me out and I feel no pain. I have no limp anymore. Thanks Dr. Alexander!

– Dorothy P. // Lawrenceville, Ga