Sciatica is commonly described as leg pain caused by a pinched nerve in the lower back region. Although the issue usually begins in nerve roots located on either side of the lower spine, the symptoms can travel through the sciatic nerve, which runs the length of each leg from the buttock down into the foot.
“The leg pain, referred to as radiculopathy, is often worse than the back pain,†stated William A. Abdu, MD, medical director of the Spine Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
The most common cause for sciatica symptoms is a herniated disc. When a disc develops a tear or crack and bulges into the spinal canal, it can pinch the sciatic nerve. Generally, the symptoms can resolve within approximately 6 weeks, but for some individuals, the pain and discomfort may continue, developing into chronic symptoms. Fortunately, there are a variety of alternative treatment options available to help people suffering with these painful, sciatica symptoms.
A study conducted by the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in 2010 found that 60 percent of individuals diagnosed with sciatica who didn’t get relief from other therapies but then tried spinal adjustments had experienced the same degree of pain relief as individuals who had surgery.
A wide number of the population experience some form of constant back pain and other symptoms which can be debilitating and impairing for their everyday lives. From those numbers however, their low back pain may actually originate from sciatica. Sciatica can greatly limit an individual’s lifestyle, but fortunately, there are a variety of effective treatments for the set of symptoms without the use of medication. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.Â