While people refer to sciatica as a condition, that’s not quite a helpful way to think of it. Dr. Jon Walwick of Walwick Chiropractic, serving Escondido, CA, and the nearby region, would like you to know that it's actually a group of symptoms that stem from damage or compression that affects the sciatic nerve.
General Information
Sciatica is a group of symptoms, possibly including swelling, pain, numbness, burning, or tingling, that affects the lower back and potentially down each leg. Though it often only affects one leg, it can impact both.
Cause
The symptoms stem from either damage to or compression on the sciatic nerve. This is the largest nerve of your body. It begins in your lower back and runs down each leg.
The compression could come from a bone spur, spinal stenosis, herniated disc, or bulging disc, to name a few examples. One of the more common diseases to affect the sciatic nerve is diabetes. Uncontrolled high glucose levels damage the nerve.
Pregnant women may experience sciatica during either the first or third trimester. It happens in the first trimester due to hormonal changes. In the final trimester, it arises because of the unborn baby placing pressure on the nerve. It's only temporary in this case, but it's still uncomfortable nevertheless.
Diagnosis Sciatica
You may come to our office already knowing the cause of your sciatica due to a previous diagnosis. However, if this isn't the case, our practitioner will ask you questions about when you have symptoms. Our chiropractor will also want to know about your medical history and determine if any of your other conditions could be causing your sciatica. In some cases, our chiropractic specialist may want to take X-rays to get a view of the spine and see if anything is pushing on the nerve.
Treating Sciatica
When you visit our Escondido, CA, office, our practitioner will thoroughly assess the situation and figure out what's causing your sciatica. Depending on the cause, our practitioner will determine an appropriate course of action, which often consists of regular spinal adjustments.
A spinal adjustment is delivered as you lay on an exam table, face down. Our chiropractor will use controlled force applied to the spine to put it into its proper position. This alleviates pressure on the surrounding nerves and soft tissue, including the sciatic nerve when performed on your lower back.
Other possible treatments include cryotherapy and electrical stimulation.
At Walwick Chiropractic, serving Escondido, CA, and the general vicinity, our Dr. Walwick helps patients who are bothered by sciatica, whether it's a temporary issue or a chronic problem. We get to the root of the problem to ease symptoms.
Schedule an appointment at our office by calling us at 760-741-2805.