Sciatica--Chiropractic Solutions

A common health complaint is Sciatic Nerve trouble. 

Some basic info about the sciatic nerves: The sciatic nerves are the largest and longest nerves of the body and can be as thick as your thumb in diameter.  Sciatic nerves run down the back of the each leg.  Each of the sciatic nerves is formed by four or five nerves branching off each side of the spinal cord and running down the back of each leg.

When these sciatic nerves are adversely affected by the inflammation of nearby soft tissues such as muscles doctors call this "sciatica".

Pain is caused when the sciatic nerve roots are pinched, stretched, irritated, scraped or twisted where they exit the spine.  Cause of the pinching, stretching, irritation, etc may be chemically induced (drug use or vitamin deficiencies), physical (picking up too heavy an object) or the emotional stress of everyday living (stressful work environment).

A full-blown sciatic flare-up can involve the entire sciatic nerve path resulting in symptoms of lower back pain, burning, cramping or numbness that radiates (flows from one place to another) into the thighs, legs, ankles, feet and toes.  Pain may also be limited to various points along the nerve, such as the buttocks, knee area and calf.

As a note: the lumbar spine (the part of the spine situated in the part of the back and sides between the lowest ribs and the pelvis), from where the sciatic nerve begins, is the most frequently injured area of the spine.

One of the most common causes of sciatic leg pain is the Vertebral Subluxation Complex (incomplete or partial dislocation of a vertebra, bone or a joint). Vertabral Subluxation Complex can be accompanied by the bulging or herniation (displacement or protrusion) of the soft pulpy discs which separate each spinal bone.  This can irritate or put pressure on the sciatic nerve roots as they leave the spinal cord.  The result can be intense pain shooting down either or both legs.

Some form of treatments have involved pain medications, muscle relaxers, physical therapy, and even surgery. The chiropractic approach I use in my Bellevue clinic is to use carefully directed and controlled pressure to remove the interference from spinal structures. These chiropractic adjustments can be quite effective in reducing nerve irritation and its associated pain.

Research shows that when treated with chiropractic adjustments, sciatica has a 8-9% greater rate of recovery than if patients were to use therapy or standard medical care.  In my office alone I've had an 84% full recovery rate.

Sciatica, like many other health problems that can be traced to the well-being of the spine, often respond dramatically to the restorative techniques employed by a skilled chiropractor.

-Dr. Edward A. Owens

www.chiropractorbellevue.org

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