Sciatica

Sciatica is a common and very painful condition. Your sciatic nerve radiates from your lower back, through your hips and buttocks, and down each leg. When there is something putting pressure on the sciatic nerve, such as a herniated disc, a bone spur, inflammation, or spinal stenosis, sciatica can occur. Fortunately, this condition can be treated by the professionals at Structural Chiropractic in Oakland, CA.

Who Is at Risk for Sciatica?

Anyone can develop sciatica. However, there are factors that can increase your chances of getting it.

• Age: As you age, changes can occur in your spine, such as bone spurs, disc herniations and degenerated discs. These are the most common causes of sciatica.

• Your job: If you have a job that requires you to lift heavy loads or twist your back often, you have a high risk of developing sciatica. The same is true if your job requires you to sit for many hours, such as a need to drive all day, or be at your desk seated.

• Sedentary lifestyle: People who lead sedentary lifestyles are more likely to develop sciatica than active people.

• Obesity: When you carry excess weight, it puts excess stress on the spine, which can contribute to the spinal changes that can cause sciatica.

• Diabetes: Diabetes increases your risk of nerve damage, which can trigger sciatica.
  
  

What Are the Symptoms of Sciatica?

Sciatica causes pain that radiates from your lower back to your buttocks and down one of your legs. The pain may go down to the level of your knee, or all the way down to your foot. The pain can range from a dull ache to a sharp burning sensation. Some people compare the pain of sciatica to an electric shock.

Sciatica pain often gets worse when you cough or sneeze, as well as when you sit for long periods of time. In severe cases, you can experience muscle weakness, numbness, and tingling in the foot on the affected side.

How Is Sciatica Diagnosed?

Our full body chiropractor will diagnose sciatica with a physical exam. Our goal is to determine where your pain is coming from and what is causing it. We will perform various orthopedic exams, muscle strength testing, along with palpation of the joints of your spine, pelvis and hip joints in order to help determine what is causing your sciatica pain. We may need X-rays or MRI to better understand your condition.

How Is Care Rendered for Sciatica?

After a thorough exam and diagnosis, our chiropractor will create a personalized care plan for you. This may use one or a combination of our methods. We often use chiropractic adjustments to address joints out of place or stuck joints (subluxations) that can interfere with the proper function of your nerves, herniated discs and other issues that cause sciatica. By realigning the spine, pelvis, and hip joints we alleviate tension and pressure along with helping your body innately start healing the irritation to your nerves. This will stop joints, and in particular the inflammation caused by subluxations, from irritating, pinching or causing pressure on the sciatic nerve.

We also provide stretches and exercises, rehabilitation, soft tissue therapies, and more to help with sciatica pain. In our clinic we also have an Erchonia laser that can help heal soft tissues more quickly! The combination of adjustments with soft tissue care in our clinic helps to set us apart from many other clinics, so you can have the best chance of healing more quickly.

Our methods are natural, non-invasive, and drug-free. This allows you to avoid risky surgeries and medications, which often come with side effects.

Schedule an Appointment with Our Full Body Chiropractor

If you are suffering from sciatica, do not wait any longer! At Structural Chiropractic in Oakland, CA, our chiropractor will help you recover from your sciatic nerve pain, which will improve your overall quality of life. Schedule an appointment, call us today.