The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It originates in your lower lumbar spine and is compromised by several spinal nerves that join together in the lower lumbar area creating one big sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve then travels down the middle of each glute(butt cheek) running down the back portion of each leg. When you have sciatica, usually you will feel some pain in the lower glute area running down either one leg or in rare cases, down both legs. Sometimes you can feel a burning sensation running down your leg or even at times numbness and tingling. This is a sign that there is an underlying problem.
The first step is to correctly diagnose whether it is sciatica or is it a bulging or herniated disc. Getting examined by your medical/chiropractic professional will help you determine the root cause. When it is sciatica, it can be very difficult to treat and often takes several weeks of therapy. The main issue with sciatica is that the sciatic nerve gets pinched usually around your glute area. As mentioned before, the sciatic nerve travels down the middle of each glute and is surrounded by muscles in the glute area. When these muscles get tight around this area, they pinch the sciatic nerve, causing the nerve to get irritated, creating the earlier symptoms. The main muscle that pinches the sciatic nerve is called the Piriformis muscle. The main treatment for the sciatic nerve would be to get your lower back adjusted along with daily stretches that will help loosen up the muscles around your glutes. We have great success in treating our patients with this condition.
A Chiropractic Doctor can help adjust the spine and heal the muscles correctly so that scar tissue does not develop and can help prevent degeneration in the affected joint. Call us today to get evaluated and allow your body to heal at its optimal potential.
