What is sciatica ?
The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the body, starts in the lower back and travels all the way down the back of the leg to the foot. Sciatica is when this nerve becomes irritated.
This condition causes pain (and sometimes pins and needles/ numbness) in the lower back, spreading down the affected leg to the foot.
How did I get sciatica?
Possible causes include a lower back disc bulge (‘slipped disc’), spinal wear and tear (spinal stenosis), a pinched nerve in the buttocks (piriformis syndrome) or inflammation around the nerve. Sciatica causes the muscles in the back and leg to spasm and protective spinal joint stiffness follows. This lack of movement through the muscles and joints hampers effective healing of the injured tissue.
How Chiropractic can help
We see many cases of sciatica every month. As chiropractors we understand that movement is key to healing. By addressing muscle spasm and stiff joints, chiropractic care helps improve blood flow to injured tissues, supports better posture, and redistributes the strain away from the affected areas. We ease painful muscle spasms with hands-on treatment techniques like dry needling, kinesiotaping, stretching and massage.
Chiropractors use spinal manipulation, mobilisation and pelvic blocking techniques to ease pressure and improve joint motion.
Chiropractors are well placed to advise on home care strategies to aid healing and encourage spinal health with targeted exercises. Regular supportive chiropractic care after recovery is often recommended, to keep you moving well.
If your symptoms do not respond to our care, we can refer you for imaging, most often a lumbar MRI scan.
