Have you ever experienced discomforting “shooting” pains that originate in your lower back and travel down your leg? If so, read on: you just may be suffering from sciatica.
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body; it runs from your pelvis through your hip area and down the back of each of your legs. It is the nerve that is responsible for the control of various muscles in your lower legs and for providing feeling to your thighs, legs, and feet.
Sciatica (radiculopathy) refers to the pain that emanates along the path of this nerve. It’s important that you understand that sciatica is not a disorder or disease; it is actually a symptom of another larger problem involving the sciatic nerve, such as pressure on it from a herniated disc or vertebral subluxation (a subluxation is a vertebrae that is not aligned with the above or below vertebrae resulting in nerve pressure, interference of mental impulses that keep you healthy and pain free). Because of this, pain is usually initially felt in the lower back and then travels down either leg.
Sciatica is most prevalent among people 30-50 years of age. The daily wear and tear done to the structures of the lower spine over a lengthy period of time is typically the main cause of sciatica, rather than a specific injury. For some, the pain will fade on its own after a few weeks or months. However, for most patients, the pain persists, which is why doctors have specially devised treatments to help eliminate the problem. Besides, why would you want to endure the pain for weeks—or months—when you don’t have to?
Learn how a StayBetter chiropractor can help reduce the effects of SCIATICA in your life. Click here to schedule a complimentary appointment with a doctor in your neighborhood.
For most people, the pain resulting from sciatica can be very painful and severe. For a few others, the pain isn’t as severe as it is simply irritating, but in many of these cases the pain has potential to worsen.
Sciatica will typically only affect one side of your body, beginning in your lower back and traveling down your leg, and occasionally to your foot and toes.
Other symptoms of sciatica include:
- Burning or tingling feeling down your leg
- Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving your leg and or foot
- Shooting pains that make it difficult to stand or walk
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Coughing , sneezing, and other sudden movements can intensify the pain
If you feel any of these symptoms or feel that they are worsening, it is highly important that you seek proper treatment. Since subluxation is a major cause of sciatica, one of the best things you can do is get treated by a medical professional who specializes in removing that subluxation, such as a chiropractor, who will realign the misaligned vertebrae causing you pain. It doesn’t take analgesics or, much less, surgery, to correct sciatica, so why put yourself through even more irritation and pain? Now that you know what really works, don’t delay, get treated today!
Learn how a StayBetter chiropractor can help reduce the effects of SCIATICA in your life. Click here to schedule a complimentary appointment with a doctor in your neighborhood.