The sciatic nerve is the largest in the human body. It starts in the lower spine, called the lumbar spine, and travels through the pelvis and buttocks, down the back of the leg, and into the foot. Sciatica is a condition that occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated, compressed, or inflamed. If any of these occur, pain and possibly neurological symptoms can travel along that nerve’s path. Sciatica is often considered a diagnosis; however, it is typically a symptom of an underlying problem in the spine, discs, joints, or muscles.
So what does sciatica feel like? Unfortunately, this can vary from person to person, but some describe it as mild discomfort while others can experience severe pain that impacts their daily life and routine. Some common symptoms include sharp or shooting pain in the lower back, buttock, or leg; burning or electric-like pain down the leg; numbness or tingling in the leg or foot; muscle weakness in the leg; and pain that worsens with sitting or bending.
How do you know if you are at risk of developing sciatica? There are several risk factors, including a sedentary lifestyle or prolonged sitting, heavy lifting or repetitive bending, stressing the lower spine and pelvic muscles, poor posture, disc degeneration, prior spinal injuries, and weak core or hip muscles. We often see it occur most commonly in sedentary individuals or those with repetitive jobs.
A question I often get is: Should I wait and see how it progresses, or treat it as soon as possible? Early treatment can help prevent this condition from becoming chronic. Also, if left untreated, compression of that nerve can lead to persistent nerve inflammation, muscle weakness, reduced mobility and flexibility, and an increased risk of disc damage in the lumbar spine. Normally, conventional treatment includes pain medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxers, steroid injections, or possibly surgery in severe cases.
Conventional treatment may temporarily reduce the symptoms, but it does not address the mechanical cause of irritation. Chiropractic care focuses on restoring proper spinal mobility, reducing nerve irritation, and strengthening the supportive muscles.
$49 New Patient Special
Includes Consultation With Your Doctor, Thorough Chiropractic Examination, Doctors Report of Findings, X-Rays If Necessary, First Treatment & MRI Review.
How Our Care Plan Works
1. See Exactly What Is Causing Your Pain
Step one is to better understand each and every patient through our thorough consultation process. This leads to a comprehensive spinal examination and any needed digital x-rays to better understand the problem at hand.
2. Get a Customized Gameplan To Fix Your Problem For Good
After the consultation, spinal examination and any needed spinal x-rays, a specific game plan to fix the problem is recommended which may include spinal adjustments, non-surgical decompression therapy, Softwave tissue regenerative therapy, orthotics, home exercises, or even possibly a referral to an appropriate provider if it is not a condition Dr. O’Keefe feels he can help.
3. Get Back To Everything You Love With The People You Love The Most
Enjoy the benefits of following your specific game plan that you have been seeking. Find joy in playing pickle ball again, bask in the excitement to get outside and garden, or perhaps feel the energy of sleeping well once again.
How We Treat Sciatica In Clear Lake, WI
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
We begin helping those suffering with sciatica by starting with a consultation where we discuss your symptoms, when the pain started, what may have happened around that time it started, or the mechanism of injury, activities that make it better or worse, any treatments you have tried, work history, and possibly any previous injuries. Uncovering the details in this consultation will help us better understand your condition and the best path forward.
From here, we proceed to our examination, which includes any necessary orthopedic testing, neurological evaluation, range-of-motion testing, postural analysis, spinal palpation, and digital X-rays, if needed. These tests will help us better understand whether the problem is due to disc, joint, muscle, or nerve compression. Treating symptoms alone rarely solves the problem, but by identifying the exact source of the irritated nerve, we can create a treatment plan that targets the underlying issues rather than just masking the pain.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Clear Lake, WI
A subluxation in the lower spine occurs when a vertebral segment or vertebra loses its normal position and mobility relative to the segments around it. This can compress nerve roots, increase disc pressure, trigger inflammation, and restrict normal movement. Adjustments made by a chiropractor gently restore proper joint movement and alignment. This can then reduce nerve pressure, improve spinal motion, decrease inflammation, and restore normal nerve communication. Once again, unlike treatments that only mask symptoms, chiropractic care works to correct the underlying mechanical dysfunction causing the nerve irritation.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise
Tight or weak muscles in the hips, glutes, and lower back can put stress on the spine and irritate the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve passes by a very important muscle called the piriformis, and if that muscle is tight, it can also be the culprit for sciatica symptoms.
Since muscles can cause sciatica, targeted exercises are not only important but can also help stabilize the spine, reduce pressure on discs, improve posture, and prevent future flare-ups. Some simple examples of those exercises include the piriformis stretch, hamstring stretch, McKenzie extensions, and core stability exercises. The goal of these movements is to reduce nerve pressure, improve flexibility, and strengthen the muscles that support the spine.
Spinal Decompression
Another helpful therapy we offer, effective for sciatica, is non-surgical spinal decompression. This therapy targets the disc in the lower back. Spinal discs sit between the vertebrae and act as shock absorbers for the spine. Each disc has a soft center surrounded by a tough outer layer. If a disc bulges or herniates, the disc can press against the nearby nerve roots, including the sciatic nerve
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Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy is a specialized therapy that gently stretches and relaxes the spine to create space between the vertebrae. The pull and release mechanism creates an internal vacuum, similar to an accordion, when a part is pulled, which sucks air into the instrument. When the pull occurs on the spine, an internal vacuum helps rehydrate and heal the disc. This helps reduce disc pressure, encourages disc healing, improves nutrient flow to the discs, and relieves nerve compression.
Deep Tissue Laser
Often, along with non-surgical spinal decompression therapy, deep tissue laser therapy goes well as an adjunct therapy. Deep tissue laser therapy uses specific wavelengths of light to stimulate healing in damaged tissue. The laser energy penetrates deep into the tissues and stimulates cellular activity, improving the body’s natural repair processes. Laser therapy can reduce inflammation, increase circulation, relieve pain, accelerate tissue repair, and reduce nerve irritation. The best part is that laser treatments are painless. Most patients don’t feel much of anything because of the unique class 4 laser that we use from Cutting Edge technology.
Common Causes of Sciatica in Clear Lake, WI
Herniated Lumbar Discs
Herniated lumbar discs are a common cause of sciatica. The spinal discs consist of soft inner material surrounded by a tougher outer layer. A disc bulge occurs when the outer layer of the disc weakens and pushes outward. If the inner material, called the nucleus, protrudes, it forms a herniation. Disc injuries commonly occur from heavy lifting, repetitive bending and twisting, poor posture, and spinal degeneration over time. Treatment for this condition often includes chiropractic care, non-surgical decompression therapy, deep tissue laser therapy, and at-home exercises.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease occurs when spinal discs lose hydration over time, leading to decreased disc height. Risk factors for DDD are aging, previous injuries like sporting injuries, and car collisions. Another risk factor for DDD is repetitive spinal stress. As discs deteriorate, they can narrow the space through which the nerve root exits the spine, leading to sciatic pain.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis occurs when the spaces within the spinal column become narrowed. This narrowing can compress nerves, leading to leg pain, numbness, weakness, and difficulty walking. Oftentimes, symptoms will worsen with standing or walking and improve with sitting or leaning forward. Conservative treatments of chiropractic care, non-surgical spinal decompression therapy, and deep tissue laser may help reduce nerve pressure.
Muscle Strain or Spasm
Muscle strains occur when the muscle fibers become overstretched or, worse yet, torn. Spasms in the lower back and/ or hips can irritate nearby nerves and mimic or contribute to sciatica. Common causes of muscle strain include overuse, insufficient or no rest, sudden lifting, muscles that were not properly warmed up or adapted, and poor conditioning. These injuries, however, respond well to adjustments and deep tissue laser therapy.
Subluxation
A subluxation occurs when one or more vertebrae fail to move cohesively with the surrounding vertebrae. It can become stuck in a specific position, leading to poor mechanics, inflammation, and irritation. As chiropractors, we are specifically trained to analyze and detect spinal subluxations and effectively treat them, which in turn leads to improved mobility, decreased pain, decreased muscle spasms, and decreased nerve irritation and inflammation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I see a doctor or a chiropractor about Sciatica?
Many people begin with chiropractic care because it addresses the mechanical causes of nerve irritation without medications or surgery.
What is the best treatment for sciatica?
The most effective treatment depends on the cause, but chiropractic care combined with non-surgical decompression therapy, deep-tissue laser therapy, and at-home exercises often provides excellent results.
How should I lie with Sciatica?
Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees or on your back with a pillow under your knees may help reduce pressure on your spine.
How long does sciatica last?
Mild cases may notice symptomatic reduction in as little as a few weeks, but untreated mechanical issues can lead to chronic symptoms.
$49 New Patient Special
Includes Consultation With Your Doctor, Thorough Chiropractic Examination, Doctors Report of Findings, X-Rays If Necessary, First Treatment & MRI Review.