Sciatic Nerve Pain

What is Sciatica and what can you do about it?

Do you have:

  • Hip pain?
  • Lower back pain?
  • Burning or tingling down the leg?
  • Constant pain on one side of the rear?
  • Pain in the rear or leg that is worse when sitting?
  • A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up?
  • Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot?

If you answered yes to any of these, you might have pain related to your sciatic nerve, named Sciatica.

Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched or irritated. It is estimated that as many as 40 percent of people suffer from this at some point in their life.

People tend to think about sciatica as regular back pain, but it is different. The pain originates with the sciatic nerves. The sciatic nerves are the two largest nerves in your body and are also the longest. The nerves run from your lower back, through the buttocks, down the back of each leg, to the soles of your feet and end in your toes.

View sciatica video

Sciatic pain can be mild to severely debilitating making it tough to walk or stand. Pain is described as dull soreness, numbness, tingling, feelings of an electric shock, throbbing heat, or stabbing pain. The severity can range from an annoying ache to severe pain.

Here are the most common conditions that cause the sciatic nerve to be pinched (sciatica):

  • Herniated disc (slipped disc)
  • Mechanical low-back injuries – Joints can become misaligned as a result of an injury, trauma such as a fall, and repetitive strain movements
  • Osteoarthritis – Can narrow the opening through which the nerve roots exit the lower spine
  • Piriformis syndrome – The piriformis muscle is in the buttock and can compress the sciatic nerve if it becomes injured or very stiff

At our clinic, we treat many people with sciatica using a multi-disciplinary approach to chiropractic and physiotherapy. Treatments include:

  • Chiropractic adjustments and spinal decompression therapy that relieves pain and/or numbness in the back, buttocks, hip and leg
  • Laser and acupuncture can reduce pain and inflammation
  • Physiotherapy exercises for lumbar spinal decompression exercises, stretches, and reconditioning