Sciatica Treatment

Many of us are quick to call any pain in our lower back sciatica, but the term actually refers to the pain in a patient that radiates out from the buttocks, down the back of the leg along the sciatic nerve, and through to the feet. It can manifest in a similar fashion to a disc protrusion or nerve irritation.

Though it’s called the sciatic nerve, it’s a bundle of nerves on each side of your body. It’s the longest and thickest of your nerves, and the five-root bundle of what we call the sciatic nerve branches off from the spinal cord and follows down through the buttocks to your foot.

What Are the Symptoms?

Sciatica symptoms can interrupt our lives. From something as simple as standing and watching our children play in the backyard to sitting in a car on our way to a memorable holiday or even walking up the steps at home – you can suddenly be hit with incapacitating pain.

Symptoms include:

• Burning sensation
• An electric shock pain that occurs suddenly
• Tingling or feeling a “pins and needles” pain
• Muscle weakness in the legs
• Areas of numbness along the nerve path

What Causes Your Pain

Sciatica occurs when the muscles surrounding the sciatic nerve begin irritating it or “pinching” it. Those muscles often irritate the nerves because of pelvic misalignment and abnormal muscle tension. A herniated disc might also cause it, or bone spur along the spine.

Common causes of this misalignment and tension are sustained seated postures at our desks or while driving or taking up a new activity that we’re not used to, like loading firewood over the weekend or spreading mulch for several hours. Carrying too much weight may also promote sciatic pain.

We Help Your Body Heal Itself

When you’re suffering from sciatica, a visit as soon as possible to Tamar Chiropractic is important. It’s our experience that these affected areas can be a bit stubborn when we work to restore function, especially if you’ve struggled with the pain and other symptoms for a while.

For our sciatica patients, we use a multi-modal, multi-pronged approach to restore healthy function to the spine and soft tissues around the area. We’ll also give you stretches and exercises to do at home and suggest related therapies that will complement chiropractic, helping you manage the symptoms in the short term.

Sciatica Treatment in Launceston, Devonport TAS | Tamar Chiropractic