Sciatica Relief for Clayton

If you or someone you and someone you love has been suffering from Sciatica or back pain, we can help. We Listen, We Care, We Get Results!

Click Barton Chiropractic in Concord or call 685-2002 to schedule your free consultation today!

As a Chiropractor for Clayton I see a lot of patients with Sciatica.

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It runs from your pelvis, through your hip area and buttocks and down each leg. The sciatic nerve branches into smaller nerves as it travels down the legs providing feeling to your thighs, legs, and feet as well as controlling many of the muscles in your lower legs. The term sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of this nerve.

What causes Sciatica?

Sciatica is actually a sign that you have an underlying problem putting pressure on a nerve in your lower back. The most common cause of this nerve compression is a bulging or herniated lumbar disc. Piriformis syndrome is another common cause of sciatica. The piriformis is a muscle that lies directly over the sciatic nerve. If this muscle becomes tight or if you have a spasm in this muscle, it puts pressure directly on the sciatic nerve. Occasionally, sciatic pain in men is caused by sitting on a wallet.

How do I know if I have sciatica?

Pain that radiates from your lower (lumbar) spine to your buttock and down the back of your leg is the hallmark of sciatica. Sciatica may be accompanied by numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the affected leg. This pain can vary widely, from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation or excruciating discomfort. Sometimes it may feel like a jolt or electric shock. Sciatic pain often starts gradually and intensifies over time. It's likely to be worse when you sit, cough or sneeze. This is often a disc problem. You need to have this evaluated by your Chiropractor Clayton.

MRIs from 160 patients with unilateral sciatic pain were evaluated. The degree of disc displacement, neural enhancement, and nerve root compression was evaluated from the MRIs. Using various clinical outcome measures, patients reported back and leg pain symptom parameters, and of disability. Clinicians collected a battery data during a clinical examination of every patient. Correlations of symptoms and signs with MRI findings were calculated using statistical methods.

The degree of disc displacement in magnetic resonance imaging did not correlate with any subjective symptoms, nor did nerve compression. Magnetic resonance imaging classification was associated with straight leg raising restriction. In regression, analysis, straight leg raising restriction was best explained with a simple classification of nonherniations versus herniations. The authors suggest that a pain mechanism generating from the intervertebral disc other than nerve root entrapment probably generates the symptoms experienced by sciatica patients.

Karppinen J, Malmivaara A, Tervonen O, et al. Severity of symptoms and signs in relation to magnetic resonance imaging findings among sciatic patients. Spine 2001:26, pp. E149-E154.