Chances are you may never experience anything quite as painful
as sciatica in your entire lifetime. Sciatica sufferers say it’s
like having an excruciating “toothache” in the leg.
Yet, you may have the early stages of this serious condition
right now, without even knowing it.
The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body,
running from the low back, into the buttocks, and down to the
toes. The diameter of the sciatic nerve is about the size of
your thumb. If your sciatic nerve becomes inflamed, the condition
is called sciatica.
The sciatic nerve can become inflamed in three different areas:
• If one of the bones in your low back isn’t moving
properly or is out of proper position (subluxation), the vertebral
joint can become inflamed and irritate one of the nerve roots
that form the sciatic nerve.
• A bulging disc between the lumbar (the bones in your
low back) can put pressure on one of the sciatic nerve roots.
• If the muscles in your buttocks become tight and spasm,
they can put pressure directly on your sciatic nerve, causing
irritation and intense pain.
When the sciatic nerve is inflamed, the pain may come on suddenly
like a lightening bolt, or it may cause a nagging ache deep within
your hip area. There may be constant throbbing that can let up
or disappear for hours or even days, and then come back suddenly
without any warning. Postural changes such as lying down, bending,
reaching, turning, or twisting can intensify the pain. In severe
cases, sciatica can cause a loss of reflexes or even a weakening
and atrophy of your calf muscle.
Sciatica has been reported following auto accidents, sports
or work injuries, and even childbirth, usually due to spinal
misalignment. A job where you are constantly lifting and altering
your position to compensate for the weight being lifted creates
a greater risk of developing sciatica. Occupations requiring
constant sitting (such as office work or driving) may cause sciatica.
Cumulative spinal stress, poor posture, lack of exercise or overexertion
can also cause sciatica.
The medical approach to sciatica is to treat the symptoms with
painkillers, muscle relaxers, injections, and orthopedic devices
such as traction and physical therapy. Sciatica is particularly
frustrating to treat with drugs because, in many cases, even
strong painkillers bring little or no relief. As with all painkillers
and injections, there is a risk of drug dependency and other
side effects. If you have radiating leg pain and have been told
that you need drugs, surgery, or worse yet, if you’re waiting
for your pain to “just go away,” you need a second
opinion.
Chiropractors correct the vertebral subluxation (misaligned
spinal bones), which is causing the pressure on the nerve. By
correcting the subluxation, chiropractors relieve stress on the
spinal nerves, joints, discs, and surrounding muscles. If you
do have sciatica, a chiropractic specific adjustment could help
to relieve your pain. A chiropractor will recommend an exercise
protocol to strengthen and stabilize your spine and to improve
your flexibility. This will help to speed up the healing process
and prevent re-injury. In fact, a British study of 741 patients
with sciatica found that patients receiving specific adjustments
obtained much better results than those receiving standard medical
treatments for sciatica. You don’t have to suffer needlessly
from sciatic pain. Relying on a drug to alleviate the pain can
lead to further injury due to “masking” the problem,
drug dependency, and side effects. Drugs only mask the symptoms;
there is no drug that will correct your structural problem.
The underlying problems and causes of sciatica in most cases
have been there for many years, maybe going back to a high school
sports injury, childhood fall or even the birth process. Early
signs include a prolonged period of intermittent back pain and
muscle weakness that is often ignored. However, a single careless
movement or even bending the “wrong way” can trigger
the sudden intense shooting pain. This is a clear indication
of sciatica. Please remember that pain is you body’s way
of telling you there is a problem, so have your spine checked
on a regular basis to keep you healthy and prevent these major
health problems from occurring.
— Dr. Ryan Napp
(This information is written for educational purposes and any
questions should be discussed with a health care professional.
Dr. Ryan Napp is a chiropractor at Napp Chiropractor Center in
Fayetteville. For more information, call 770-716-5228.)
