Sciatica Care in South Calgary
Sciatica is referred to as any pain that is caused by the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body. It begins as branches of the 4th and 5th lumbar nerve along with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd sacral nerves, which merge to form the sciatic nerve.
The nerve then runs inferiorly through the gluteal region and down the posterior thigh to a point just above the knee when it branches into the tibial and common peroneal nerves. These nerves continue downward to the lower leg, ankle and foot, and deliver nerve signals to the skin and muscles of these regions.
When experiencing sciatica, one must first correctly identify where the nerve is experiencing pressure or being compromised. This can occur at the spine itself, in the lower back, hip region, gluteal, or piriformis muscles in the buttock region or elsewhere within the thigh, lower leg, ankle, and foot.
A Kink in the Hose
Sciatica is like being in your backyard trying to water your lawn, and you turn the hose on, and no water’s coming out. You look over, and there’s a bike on the hose. Or there’s a cinder block on the hose. Or there’s a kink in the hose from somebody stepping on it with their foot.
So where is that water being blocked? Is it specifically from one of those four things or is it a little bit from more than one of those things that are not allowing the water to get through? That’s the same thing with the sciatic pain. Where is the sciatic pain being compromised? In lay terms, where is that pinch nerve being affected? And then once you can find that, it’s much easier to resolve.
Symptoms of Sciatica
Sciatic can be quite debilitating and often has the following symptoms associated with it:
- Shooting pain or electric pain down the leg, beyond the knee
- Numbness or tingling in the lower leg or foot
- A weakness in the leg or foot
How We Help
Once the cause of the sciatica is diagnosed, then a treatment plan specific to the cause of the sciatica can be formulated. This can include chiropractic adjustment, soft tissue therapy, lumbar traction or decompression of the lumbar spine and electrical muscle stimulation. Chiropractic care is considered to be an effective and drug-free proven treatment of sciatica. Chiropractic can resolve the problem and allow you to return to activities of everyday life without pain.
FAQ
What’s the most common cause of sciatica?
Will I eventually need surgery to cure my sciatica?
Can you provide me with exercises to help my sciatica?
Book an Appointment
If you are experiencing sciatic pain, contact Dr. Dale Byrne today to schedule an appointment!
