Sciatica can cause numbness, pain, or weakness in your buttock, hip, and leg. Chiropractic and sciatica is a good match because chiropractic can address many of the issues that can cause sciatica pain. Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is inflamed, compressed, or irritated.

The sciatic nerve happens to be the largest and longest nerve in your entire body. It starts at the spinal column close to your pelvis and down each leg. This nerve can be as wide as your thumb near its point of origin. As the sciatic nerve progresses downward, it breaks into five branches that serve your thigh, knee, calf, ankle and foot. It is easy to see why it can be so incapacitating when this nerve is compressed.

Causes of Sciatica Misalignment (subluxation) of the spine Pelvic misalignment Slipped or herniated disc from a fall or accident Tumors Diabetes Arthritis Vitamin deficiencies Pregnancy

Simple movements are often the triggers for sciatic pain. Actions that you would normally not give a second thought to, like sitting, standing, walking, lifting, sneezing or bending may be enough to send sharp pains down your leg from your hip. Chiropractors have treated many sciatica cases successfully over the years.

Most people don’t realize that sciatica commonly begins with mild lower back pain. They may feel these aches and pains for a few weeks before the true “sciatica pain” kicks in. They may feel numbness, pain or weakness that starts in the hip and moves through the buttocks, then down through the thigh, the calf and finally the foot. The pain can be a dull ache or it can be a hot, shooting pain. Pain can last for a few minutes, a few hours or several days or weeks. The pain going down the leg eventually becomes more severe than that in the low back. Those who have suffered sciatica for a long time will realize the pain will localize in the buttocks and thighs. If left untreated or ignored, the nerve can possibly sustain permanent damage and the calf muscle may begin to deteriorate. Some extreme cases also include a weakened bladder and paresthesia.

Many people will wait until the pain is unbearable before they seek the assistance of a chiropractor. If you contact a chiropractor when you just start to feel sciatic pain, there is a much better chance of success in relieving the pain and fixing the cause. A chiropractor will take your medical history when you first meet, and then do a physical exam including orthopedic and neurological tests. You may need x-rays, but not always. The chiropractor will discuss the results and recommend treatment for you.

Manual adjustments to your spine may be done to help correct any misalignments. These adjustments help remove any blockages that may be pinching the sciatic nerve. Muscle spasms may be treated with massage. Your chiropractor may also recommend ice packs or ultrasound treatments to help relieve the symptoms. In the majority of cases, several sessions of manual adjustments are adequate to relieve the problem.

Chiropractic care for sciatica pain works well. Sciatica has a typical underlying cause that can be determined. Chiropractic care can not only relieve the symptoms but remove the cause as well, so the chance of a return of the pain is minimal. X-rays taken pre and post-treatment have proven that chiropractic care realigned the spine and reduced the symptoms. Before you take pain medications to simply cover up your symptoms, see a chiropractor if you think you may be developing sciatica.

Philip Vincent is a health care educator. Need a Chiropractor Calgary? Consider this Calgary Chiropractor.