“I HAVE BACK PAIN WITH RADIATING LEG PAIN, IS IT SCIATICA?”
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in your body, is compressed or irritated, often due to a herniated disc, a bone spur, or condition that typically occurs in older people called spinal stenosis.
This condition will vary in how it presents. Sometimes it begins with lower back pain that runs through the buttock area and down the leg, and most of the time if its truly sciatica it runs BELOW the knee into the calf, shin, ankle and/or foot areas. It can be a combination of pain, numbness, and tingling. If this condition is advanced, it can result in leg or foot weakness.
Sometimes there is little to no back pain at all and all the pain is in the buttocks, leg and/or foot. This is often a surprise to people who will say “How can I have a ruptured disc if my back doesn’t hurt, its just my leg” or “just my foot”? This can happen because the pinched nerve sends signals to the brain and the brain interprets the nerve pain in the leg over pain signals from your back. Sometimes the pain can shift from your back to lower areas and go back and forth during an ‘episode’ of sciatica.
It is not uncommon for these episodes to last several weeks. The general consensus is that you want to give sciatica 6-8 weeks to go away before doing anything more invasive UNLESS you develop significant weakness. Most of the time, these conditions will resolve if you do NOTHING but.... most people cannot tolerate the discomfort. Sciatica can be debilitating and this type of intense pain that robs you of sleep is mentally draining and can wreak havoc of home and work life. Thus, undergoing some therapy can often ease the symptoms, help the condition resolve quicker, all while improving function at home/work/school etc.
If you have pain that runs down the leg but does NOT go past your knee, its probably not 'true sciatica' where the nerve is being pinched at the spine level by a disc or spur, but its likely coming from something else, such as; your lower back joints, a pinched nerve in the buttocks muscles, or even the joints where your hip connects to your tailbone area, the Sacroiliac joint.
HOW DO YOU TELL WHAT I HAVE?
We will assess your medical history, perform a physical examination, and if needed, we can order diagnostic tests, such as X-rays or MRI, to help provide clues as to the source, and severity of it. Unless you have significant weakness, or have had this condition for a long time, we usually do not need to obtain imaging, which saves you unnecessary expense.
WHAT WILL YOU DO TO FIX IT?
Based on the examination findings, we will develop a personalized treatment plan. This may involve a combination of the following; adjustments, traction, flexion-distraction therapy, acupuncture, manual therapy, physical rehabilitative exercises, and over the counter medications/supplements to alleviate the underlying causes of sciatica. In severe cases, we’ll often recommend a trip to your family physician for medication management which will help you manage pain and allow us to do more of the therapies we need to do in order for you to get better faster. We are not “anti-medicine”, we are “anti-too much medicine when its not needed”.
- The use of traction and/or spinal adjustments is done with a controlled force to the affected joints. These adjustments aim to restore proper alignment, reduce inflammation, and alleviate pressure on the sciatic nerve.
- Rehabilitative Exercises: With sciatica, we’ll often recommend specific exercises and stretches to strengthen the supporting muscles and improve flexibility. These exercises can help relieve pain and prevent future sciatic episodes.
- Lifestyle Advice: Chiropractors may provide guidance on ergonomics, posture, and lifestyle modifications to prevent aggravation of sciatica and promote overall spinal health.
If you or someone you know is suffering from this, tag them and let them know we can help! Text / Call 605-373-9090 or go to naturalartschiropractic.com on the web or Facebook to get in touch with us!