Sciatica treatment at Festus Chiropractor

A lot of people that visit our Festus chiropractic clinic are dealing with sciatica. A common question that we get is what is sciatica? Patients understand that they are in pain but not where it comes from. The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the body. It emerges from the spinal cord in the low back and travels through the buttock region all the way down to the lower leg and foot. It functions to control the muscles in those regions.

The sciatic nerve is responsible for sensation in the side of the leg, heel, and bottom of the foot. When the nerve becomes irritated or inflamed, the pain that results is what is known as sciatica. The name indicates that the sciatic nerve is involved but it does not explain the source of the irritation.

Symptoms of Sciatica

Commonly, pain is the most frequent symptom of sciatic nerve irritation. The pain is typically on one side of the body and can travel down the leg to the knee or foot. The quality of the pain often differs between individuals. It can be tingling, aching, burning, stabbing, or shooting pain. Patients can also feel like they are being poked with pins and needles and weakness in the leg or foot. The quality and location of pain can lead to the source of the irritation.

Sciatica typically develops slowly over time, starting as a minor annoyance that builds to more intense pain. It rarely starts as intense pain and is normally made worse by extended sitting, bending, sneezing, coughing, or sudden movements.

Diagnosing Sciatica

Sciatica needs to be diagnosed by a physician that is able to consider your medical history and evaluate your condition with a comprehensive examination. When diagnosing sciatica, it is important to have a complete neurologic examination. A good neurologic exam has an emphasis on the legs and spine that includes an assessment of your sensory and motor strength as well as reflexes and certain movements that cause pain. X-rays are typically not needed to diagnose sciatica as nerves are not shown on x-rays.

Sciatica Treatment Options

Most case of sciatica can be effectively treated by conservative care including chiropractic care. The cause of the pain can vary and so can the treatment. The available treatments vary heavily on your chiropractor. Conservative care includes any treatment that is not invasive. This excludes surgery and medication. Chiropractic and acupuncture is focused on eliminating or minimizing the pain by addressing the cause of the problem and restoring normal movement and function. This reduces irritation and inflammation of the area, including the sciatic nerve.

Have you, or someone you know, experienced sciatic pain? If so, call our team at Pappas Chiropractic to see what we can do for you.