The sciatic nerve is created by the gathering of nerves that extend from the spinal cord down through the pelvic bones. The sciatic nerve branches out and controls the organs in the pelvis and everything else from the hips to the toes.

Sciatica is the inflammation of the sciatic nerve, the largest and longest nerve in the body. Burning pain in the low back, hips, and legs are common symptoms of sciatica. Low back pain is not always part of sciatica, but often comes with it.
Usually, sciatica affects only one side. Pain often radiates down the buttock or leg and can range from a tingling, burning, pins-and-needles feeling to excruciating, shooting pain that makes standing up nearly impossible. Often, coughing, sneezing, and sitting make the pain worse.

In the past, long periods of bed rest were commonly prescribed for sciatic pain and malfunction. Recent studies have confirmed that lengthy bed rest is a waste of time and may interfere with healing. Another common prescription, epidural injections, does not help patients suffering from sciatica, either. Researchers in Germany did a six-month study published this year in Clinical Orthopaedics, and Related Research. These researchers found that spinal corticosteroid injections do not help patients with sciatica improve any faster than those not given such injections.

What does seem to be the correct prescription is conservative chiropractic adjustments to realign the misaligned vertebrae. According to the recently released United States Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) guidelines, "relief of discomfort can be accomplished most safely" with chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic care (sometimes coupled with simple exercises) normalizes the joint mobility, returns the bones to their proper position, and takes the pressure off the sciatic nerve. Pain and inflammation leave the area. Function is restored. Health is restored.

Sciatica is a horrible experience. Regardless of what you may have been told in the past, you may get rid of it. You may not have to "live with it" as you've heard. Correction of the cause of sciatica may be as close as a call to our office. We'd be happy to do our part in the restoration of your health and the elimination of the vertebral subluxations that have been interfering with it.