Pain that radiates from your lower (lumbar) spine to your buttock and down the back of your leg is the hallmark of sciatica. Occasionally, sciatic pain in men is caused by sitting on a wallet.

The Spine & Wellness Centre can assist in reversing the Cause of Sciatica without the Need for Risky Drugs or Surgery

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It runs from your pelvis, through your hip area and buttocks and down each leg. The sciatic nerve branches into smaller nerves as it travels down the legs providing feeling to your thighs, legs, and feet as well as controlling many of the muscles in your lower legs. The term sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of this nerve.

What causes Sciatica?

Sciatica is actually a sign that you have an underlying problem putting pressure on a nerve in your lower back. The most common cause of this nerve compression is a bulging or herniated lumbar disc. Piriformis syndrome is another common cause of sciatica. The piriformis is a muscle that lies directly over the sciatic nerve. If this muscle becomes tight or if you have a spasm in this muscle, it puts pressure directly on the sciatic nerve. Occasionally, sciatic pain in men is caused by sitting on a wallet.

How do I know if I have sciatica?

Pain that radiates from your lower (lumbar) spine to your buttock and down the back of your leg is the hallmark of sciatica. Sciatica may be accompanied by numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the affected leg. This pain can vary widely, from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation or excruciating discomfort. Sometimes it may feel like a jolt or electric shock. Sciatic pain often starts gradually and intensifies over time. It's likely to be worse when you sit, cough or sneeze.

How is Sciatica Treated?

list-style-type: none; margin-top: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; ">The vast majority of the time, sciatic pain can be relieved through a combination of stretches, deep tissue massage of the piriformis muscle and spinal care. Occasionally, in cases where chronic spasm of the low back or piriformis muscles is causing the sciatic pain, it may be necessary to do a procedure called a trigger point injection, where a medical pain specialist injects a small amount of anesthetic directly into a spasmed muscle to break the spasm cycle. However, this is typically not necessary.

At the Atlas Wellness Centre in Bedford we have many experts that specialise in natural interventions for a variety of conditions. Our team is made up of two former doctors of chiropractic who have gone on to specialise in advanced techniques to rehabilitate spinal abnormalities/injuries, nerve damage, and offer first class education in nutrition and exercise science all of which are necessary to fully reverse the damage that causes sciatica. We also have one chiropractor, one sports therapist and three massage therapists on the team, all of whom work as a team to reverse the root cause of sciatica. Contact our clinic today!

Research:

A nonsurgical approach to the management of patients with lumbar radiculopathy secondary to herniated disk: a prospective observational cohort study with follow-up. Donald R. Murphy, DC, Eric L. Hurwitz, DC, PhD, and Ericka E. McGovern, DC. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009 Nov-Dec;32(9):723-33.

Chiropractic treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis: a review of the literature. Kent Stuber DC, MSc, Sandy Sajko DC, MSc, Kevyn Kristmanson DC. J Chiropr Med. 2009 Jun;8(2):77-85.

Chiropractic management of low back pain and low back-related leg complaints: a literature synthesis. Dana J. Lawrence, DC, MMedEd, William Meeker, DC, MPH, Richard Branson, DC, Gert Bronfort, DC, PhD, Jeff R. Cates, DC, MS, Mitch Haas, DC, MA,f Michael Haneline, DC, MPH, Marc Micozzi, MD, PhD, William Updyke, DC, Robert Mootz, DC, John J. Triano, DC, PhD, and Cheryl Hawk, DC, PhD. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2008 Nov-Dec;31(9):659-74.

Chiropractic outcomes managing radiculopathy in a hospital setting: a retrospective review of 162 patients. Kim D. Christensen DC, DACRB, CCSP, CSCS, Kirsten Buswell DC. J Chiropr Med. 2008 Sep;7(3):115-25.

Chiropractic manipulation in the treatment of acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion: a randomized double-blind clinical trial of active and simulated spinal manipulations. Valter Santilli, MD, Ettore Beghi, MD, Stefano Finucci, MD. The Spine Journal 6 (2006) 131–137.

High-velocity low-amplitude spinal manipulation for symptomatic lumbar disk disease: a systematic review of the literature. Anthony J. Lisi, DC, Erica J. Holmes, DC, and Carlo Ammendolia, DC. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2005 Jul-Aug;28(6):429-42.

Biomechanical and neurophysiological responses to spinal manipulation in patients with lumbar radiculopathy. Christopher J. Colloca, DC, Tony S. Keller, PhD, and Robert Gunzburg, MD, PhD. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2004 Jan;27(1):1-15.

The Effects of Mild Compression on Spinal Nerve Roots with Implications for Models of Vertebral Subluxation and the Clinical Effects of Chiropractic Adjustment. R. Scott Alderson, D.C.1, George J. Muhs, D.C., DABCN, CCN. J. Vertebral Subluxation Res., 4(2), 2001.

Case Studies: