What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is a severe pain in the leg caused by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve.

What is the Sciatic Nerve?

The sciatic nerve is your longest and largest nerve.  It is made up of five roots that leave your low back, join in your pelvis and then travel to the muscles and joints of your thigh, knee, calf, ankle, foot and toes.  The nerve at its largest point is about the diameter of a thumb.  Irritation of these nerves can result in intense pain shooting down either or both legs.  

What causes Sciatica?

One of the most common causes of sciatic leg pain is what Doctors of Chiropractic call the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.  It can be accompanied by the bulging or herniation of the soft, pulpy discs which separate each spinal bone.  This can irritate or put pressure on the sciatic nerve roots as they leave the spinal cord.  The result can be the intense pain down one or both legs that doctors refer to as sciatica.

What treatment can help?

In the past treatment has involved pain medications, muscle relaxants, physical therapy and even surgery.  The Chiropractic approach is to use carefully directed and controlled pressure to remove the interference from spinal structures.  These are called adjustments and can be very effective in reducing nerve irritation and its associated pain.  Sciatica, like other health problems that can be traced to the spine, often responds dramatically to the restoration of normal spinal function.

How long does it take?

As with many problems related to the spine the prognosis can vary dramatically from patient to patient.  It is important to remember is that the related pain is often the last thing to come and the first thing to go.  
Because of that the pain usually goes before proper correction of the condition is complete.  It is important that patients receiving care from their doctor do not use pain as the indicator to whether the problem is completely corrected.