Sciatic can be a very debilitating and excruciating condition. The term sciatica is used for pain that is along the large Sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve comes off portions of the spinal roots of L4, 5, S1, 2 and 3 these then join up and become the sciatic nerve. It then travels down the back of the buttock, along the outside of the lower leg and around the outside of the foot. The sensations include pain (achy or sharp), numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness.
Anywhere along the sciatic nerve can become compressed, however, the most common area for compression is by the lumbar vertebrae when they become subluxated (misaligned). It is not only that the vertebrae have become misaligned, but that they stay out of place and put constant pressure on the sciatic nerves.
How do the lumbar (low back) vertebrae get out of place?
Through falls, car accidents, lifting injuries, poor posture, repetitive type injuries, disc bulges/ruptures, disc degeneration, and osteoarthritic spurs. All of these things can initially pull a vertebrae out of place, and if the muscles are not strong enough and there isn’t enough mobility in the spine, the bones then stays out of place.
Treatment
Chiropractors look at your spine, both structurally and functionally. They will assess whether you have a subluxation causing the compression of the sciatic nerve and determine whether they can help relieve the compression. Most chiropractic treatments are gentle manipulations of the spine and vertebrae to restore the spine’s internal biomechanics and balance, thus relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Simple things that you can do to help relieve sciatica is to first, stop doing the activity that aggravates your pain. There are some simple stretches for your back (see back exercises – back rocks and CATS specifically) that will also help put motion back into your spine. You can use ice on your low back to help reduce the inflammation which is part of the condition. Anti-inflammatories may also help reduce the pain.
Remember that the longer you go with the pain and without treatment, the longer it will take to correct the condition. You should also strengthen up your back muscles t help prevent future injuries and stop any degeneration that has begun.