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Frequently Asked Questions About Sciatica
Admin • Jan 04, 2021
Many people suffer the agonies of sciatica without knowing anything about the chronic pain syndrome behind their nagging leg or foot trouble. This common disorder affects the nerve roots that feed signals between the spinal cord and the sciatic nerve, which relays motor commands and sensations through the leg.
Fortunately, most sciatica cases don't require surgical correction or other drastic treatment methods. The more you know about sciatica, the more easily you can understand how and why conservative treatment strategies can help. Check out these answers to frequently asked questions about sciatica and its treatment.
Why Does Sciatica Occur?
Sciatica occurs when something interferes with the normal passage of nerve signals through the sciatic nerve, or through the major nerve roots that anchor the sciatic nerve to the spinal cord. Any of the smaller nerves that branch off into the buttock, leg, and foot may malfunction as a result of this compression.
The most common cause of sciatica involves compression of the sciatic nerve by a bulging or herniated disc. The discs that cushion spinal vertebrae against shock may protrude from the spinal column, where they can pinch the sciatic nerve roots, cutting off nerve transmissions to various parts of the leg.
Although anyone can experience sciatica, certain factors can raise your risk. The condition tends to strike between the ages of 30 and 50, the result of natural degenerative changes in the spine. Underlying conditions such as obesity and diabetes can also increase your risk.
What Symptoms Can Sciatica Cause?
A pinched sciatic nerve root can produce a variety of symptoms in the extremity served by the affected sciatic nerve. The most common symptoms include shooting pains, numbness, uncomfortable tingling feelings, and a loss of muscle strength in a buttock, leg, or foot.
Sciatic nerve root compression usually occurs between either the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae (L4-L5) or between the fifth lumbar vertebra and the first sacral vertebrae
(or L5-S1). The former may produce symptoms in the top of the foot. The latter sends symptoms through the calf to the outside of the foot.
Sciatica symptoms may come and go, giving you false hope that it has resolved itself completely. Until you get treatment for the underlying cause, however, you may continue to suffer bouts of sciatica. The most serious cases, which affect bladder and bowel function, require emergency evaluation and treatment.
How Do Chiropractors Treat Sciatica Without Surgery?
Most medical professionals reserve spinal surgery for only the most severe spinal nerve compression. Chiropractors can often treat the disorder by making gentle adjustments to the vertebrae and discs involved in the nerve compression. These adjustments can shift discs away from the nerve roots, restoring normal function.
A chiropractic evaluation of your spine may reveal that your symptoms don't stem from sciatic nerve root compression at all. If the sciatic nerve itself gets squeezed or pinched by inflamed, swollen hip or buttock tissues, you may actually experience lookalike symptoms from a problem known as piriformis syndrome.
Whatever musculoskeletal issue has led to your sciatica symptoms, your chiropractor can most likely provide the answers through non-invasive treatment. Spinal adjustments that improve your posture and ease muscular strain, for instance, can reduce your risks for herniated discs and nerve compression.
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