The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body is made up from a combination of lumbar and sacral nerves in the low back. When there is some type of impingement on any one of these individual nerves, it can lead to sciatic pain which can travel all the way down the back of the leg.
If you feel that you may be experiencing pain due to sciatica, call our chiropractor today. We serve Burbank and the surrounding areas. Our chiropractor, Dr. Simian, is located in Burbank and can effectively treat your sciatica nerve pain and the discomfort you are experiencing.
The sciatic nerve plays a vital role in connecting the spinal cord with the muscles in the leg and the foot. True sciatic nerve pain is felt all the way down the back of the leg while sometimes the pain only travels to the back of the knee which can potentially be other conditions. Symptoms that those with sciatica feel are experienced with sciatic nerve irritation include:
These symptoms can all be experienced if someone has sciatic nerve issues. It can feel like you might be dragging your leg and the pain can be increased with prolonged sitting or stretching of the nerve by straightening out the leg.
There are multiple causes of sciatic nerve pain. Our chiropractor in Burbank evaluates each patient prior to treatment to determine if it truly is sciatica and what the root causes are.
One possible cause is the piriformis muscle. This muscle lies deep in the glutes and when it goes into spasm, it can compress the sciatic nerve leading to the numbness or tingling feeling down one leg, not both. This can be caused by prolonged sitting and potentially favoring one side compared to the other.
Sitting down on your wallet can place extra stress on the piriformis muscle leading to tightening up of this muscle as well. It is recommended to place your wallet in one of your front pockets to potentially avoid irritation to the piriformis muscle and hopefully prevent sciatic nerve pain from the beginning.
Disc herniations can also place pressure on the nerve roots which can cause further irritation to the sciatic nerve. When a disc is herniated, it can close off the space that the nerves in the low back exit from potentially leading to sciatic nerve pain. An analogy of this can be to a garden hose. When you turn on the hose, the water flows freely, but once you step on the garden hose the water does not come out as strong. Same concept as the nerves.
If you place pressure on the nerves, they don’t function properly potentially leading to numbness, tingling, and weakness. Improper warm-ups and performing repetitive lower extremity exercises can lead the surrounding muscles to stiffen also leading to this pain. Arthritis and degeneration can also decrease the disc spaces where the nerve roots exit out from. It is important to have good nutrition, perform stretches, and proper exercise long term to hopefully prevent or delay this from occurring.
Chiropractic adjustments can help realign the spine and surrounding structures taking pressure off the nerve roots and helping alleviate sciatic nerve pain. This will help realign the spine and surrounding structures taking pressure off the nerve roots and helping alleviate sciatic nerve pain. Myofascial release, massage, or even using a lacrosse ball or foam roller can help loosen the surrounding musculature preventing impingement of the sciatic nerve. Loosening up the muscles in the low back, glutes, piriformis, and hamstrings can help loosen the region not allowing any of these muscles to compress the sciatic nerve.
Stretching, maintaining good posture, and proper movement will also help take pressure off the nerve by continuing to help keep the surrounding muscles loose and prevent the joints from “locking up.” It is important to perform stretches and proper warm ups before engaging in activity so that your body can function optimally and so that you don’t fall prey to injuries that could have been prevented. The last thing you want is a silly injury occurring leading to a multitude of problems that won’t allow you to work out or even perform basic activities of daily living. It is important to seek treatment early so this condition does not get worse and cause more issues to arise.
If you are struggling with debilitating sciatic nerve pain, contact your local healthcare provider or chiropractor to get on the road to recovery. If you live in Burbank, contact us today at (818) 514-7294
Monday: 8:00am-7:00pm
Tuesday: 8:00am-7:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00am-7:00pm
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 8:00am-7:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am-3:00pm
Sunday: Closed