Sciatic pain does not have to be chronic and debilitating. Chiropractors can help alleviate sciatic pain by finding and correcting the root source of the nerve interference that causes it.
Could you please tell us a little about the sciatic nerve and where it is in the body?
Dr. Scott Gardner: Sure. The sciatic nerve is formed by several different spinal nerves in the lower back. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It runs down the butt and continues down the back of the leg. At the knee, it divides and goes down the back of the lower leg, into the bottom of the foot and down the front of the lower leg into the top of the foot.
When people say they have sciatic pain, what is the location of the pain and the type of pain that they might experience?
Dr. Scott Gardner: Sciatic pain typically radiates from the lower back, down the hamstring and into the calf area. The pain can be sharp, shooting, burning, electric or stabbing.
Can a chiropractor help determine what some of the causes of sciatic pain are? And can you share with us what some of the causes could be?
Dr. Scott Gardner: Sciatic pain is caused by an irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression of a nerve in the lower back due to what we call subluxation, where the bones are out of their normal alignment, creating pressure on those nerves. Chiropractors can determine the most likely cause with an examination and x-rays.
What type of chiropractic treatments are performed to help relieve sciatic pain? And what do they entail?
Dr. Scott Gardner: Chiropractors will locate the cause of the sciatic pain. With a combination of specific adjustments to correct the subluxations, then adding in stretches to free up the tightened areas, and then also strengthening exercises to work on building weakened muscles, we can help to restore the normal alignment by correcting the root of the problem, or what we call subluxation.
Is sciatic pain a chronic issue, or is it something that can be corrected with chiropractic care?
Dr. Scott Gardner: Sciatic pain doesn’t need to be a chronic issue. In most cases, it can be corrected with appropriate chiropractic care.
Learn More
If you are interested in speaking with Dr. Scott Gardner visit www.gardnerfamilychiro.com or call 973-614-9256 to schedule an appointment.
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