Most people experience low back pain at one time or another. Unfortunately many wait too long to have it corrected or just cover it up with medications that just give temporary relief. Just like a cavity can progressively get worse, the underlying cause of the back pain degenerates and can develop into bulging or herniated discs and also a condition called sciatica.
Sciatica is a condition that refers to pain or discomfort associated with the sciatic nerve. The nerve runs from the lumbar spine, down the back of the leg, to the foot. Injury to or pressure on the sciatic nerve can cause the characteristic pain of sciatica: a sharp or burning pain that radiates from the lower back or hip, possibly following the path of the sciatic nerve all the way down to the foot. Some people describe a feeling of burning, sharp pain or even pins and needles into the foot.
There can be several causes of sciatica. Many times the bones of the lumbar spine will misalign or subluxate, putting pressure on the nerve. Many instances when the bones stay subluxated the discs start to generate or trauma can cause the disc to bulge or herniate further putting pressure on the sciatica nerve. Another common cause of sciatica is when a muscle called the piriformis gets tight or goes into spasm and puts pressure on the nerve resulting in sciatica. Also, the feet can be misaligned or have dropped arches which cause the feet to pronate or supinate. This misalignment of the feet can cause rotation of the knees and hips resulting in an imbalance of the lumbar and pelvic regions and that can add to the pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Following is a video of one of our patients who was having sciatica as well as back pain resulting from disc problems:
In our office, Hometown Family Wellness Center, Dr. Russell Brokstein addresses the cause of your condition. When it comes to sciatica it’s important to find a chiropractor that not only addresses the subluxations in the spine, but also the imbalances in the muscles of the legs and the misalignments in the ankles, feet and knees. If these other areas aren’t addressed, the subluxations will most likely keep occurring along with the pain associated with sciatica. Chiropractic has a high success rate in correcting the cause of sciatica and this is done without medications that can results in many dangerous side effects.
For more information about our office located at 9 Broadway in Freehold, NJ go to our website: www.ChiropractorFreehold.com