Sciatic Pain

Sciatica can come and go and isn’t a pleasant condition. For many people it can make it hard to sleep, hard to sit and work, and maybe even hard to go for a walk for exercise. Sciatica pain can end up impacting your overall life.

What Is Sciatic Pain?

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It sends information to and from your spine to your leg, helping you move parts of your leg.

Sciatic pain is when that nerve becomes compressed or pinched. It can then cause the feelings of pins and needles, numbness and/ or sharp pain. These symptoms can be experienced in the lower back, buttocks, and often runs down the leg too. Sciatica often occurs on one side of the body, however some people experience it on both.

What Causes It?

Sciatic nerve pain frequently occurs due to something placing pressure on the nerve. In the lower back it is often a slipped disc. Another possible cause is a tight piriformis muscle which could be pressing on the nerve. This muscle is deep enough and also close enough that when it spasms, it can press on your sciatic nerve.

Your Chiropractor will be able to perform certain tests to determine which the cause is.

How Can You Get Relief?

It is important to seek advice from a health practitioner, such as a Chiropractor. Your Chiropractor will be able to diagnose the issue and cause, and then create a treatment plan suited to your individual situation.

Suggestions could include:

Stretching of the lower back and piriformis muscles.

Hot and cold compresses.

Strengthening exercises once pain has decreased.

Contact us today if you think you are experiencing Sciatic pain or would like to find out more.

Author: Dr Felicity Ede