Posts Tagged ‘sciatica’
Sciatica in Westwood
Sciatica is widespread in Westwood
Sciatica is a widespread condition that is experienced in wildly different ways by those affected. One person may experience burning, sharp and prickly pain while another may feel only a dull aching; one person may feel it only intermittently while the other has symptoms constantly. Other characteristics of sciatica include:
- Feelings of numbness in the extremities
- Radiating pain
- Lost range of motion
Sciatica is a symptom
Of nerve compression to be precise. The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest spinal nerve in the human body, which means that when it is put under pressure, the ripple effect can be enormous. As we age, our spines are more likely to move out of alignment. This may not cause you any problems until it starts to impinge on the sciatic nerve; we implore you not to let it reach this point. Chiropractic is as much about prevention as it is about reactively treating pain. Maintaining spinal alignment But if you are already in the grips of sciatic nerve pain, read on to find out how we go about treating it.
Treating sciatica in Westwood
Restoring spinal alignment is the quickest way to start pushing back against sciatica. By returning the misaligned vertebral bodies to a state of balance, we alleviate compression from the nerves, immediately making a difference in your pain. We then focus on strengthening and stretching that muscles that matter to keep your spine aligned; in this way, we prevent sciatica from recurring. If you are interested in treating your sciatic nerve pain in a natural and efficient manner, give our office in Westwood a call to schedule an appointment today.
Why Chiropractic is Effective Pain Relief for Sciatica Sufferers
Sciatic nerve pain is not your friend
Sciatica is characterized by pain that begins in the lower back and radiates to the lower extremities. Symptoms are often experienced only in on leg and include: pain that begins in the lower back and radiates downward, as well as numbness and weakness in the legs and feet, But the important thing to remember is that sciatica is not a condition itself, but rather a symptom of another condition. The pain is most likely being caused by compression of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body which runs from the lower spine through the buttock, the back of the thigh and all the way down to the foot. A compression at any point along the way can cause dysfunction, but it is most often impinged upon because of misalignment in the lower back.
Piriformis Syndrome: A Common Cause of Sciatica
Do you know your piriformis muscle?
The piriformis is small but powerful, a muscle located deep within the buttock that connects between the lower spine and the beginning of the femur. It’s function is to assist in rotation of the hip, but the piriformis is more well known for the problems it causes than for the way it assists your day to day movement. The problem is location: it just happens to sit right on top of the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the human body . In fact, in some people’s bodies, the nerve runs directly through the muscle. This sets up a scenario for impingement on the sciatic nerve.
Piriformis syndrome is nerve impingement at its finest
Sciatica in Westwood
Sciatica is a common impingement syndrome
The sciatic nerve is the largest in the human body- running from the lower back down the back of each leg. Because of its size and location, the sciatic nerve is prone to injury and pressure from a variety of conditions, the most common of which are:
- Disc herniation
- Piriformis syndrome
- Spinal misalignment
Symptoms are usually experienced as cramp-like irritation, numbing in the butt and the legs, and pain ranging from dull to sharp and shooting which can go right through to the lower extremities.