What is Sciatica?

Although sciatica sounds like a condition, it is actually a symptom. In other words, sciatica refers to low back pain that extends through your buttocks area and down the back of your leg (as it usually only affects one leg at a time) and it is a result of spinal issues such as herniation of a disc, bone spurs, or compression of a nerve.

Certain factors put you at risk of developing sciatica. These include getting older, carrying excess body weight, being sedentary for long periods of time (such as having a desk job), and being diabetic (as this condition may affect your nerves).

Symptoms of Sciatica

How do you know if you have sciatica versus just a sore leg due to a car accident, work injury, or some other cause? Absent a medical exam that specifically confirms it, some of the most common symptoms of sciatica include:

• Low back pain that extends to the back of your thigh or calf

• Pain that ranges from mild to agonizing, usually worsening over time

• Pain that increases when you jolt your body suddenly, such as when you sneeze

• Pain that is accompanied by a numb or tingly feeling in your foot or toes

Sciatica varies greatly from person to person, which is why seeing a chiropractor can help accurately identify it and allow you to begin your road to recovery more quickly.

Non-surgical Sciatica Treatment Options

Some at home treatment options include cold packs the first 1-2 days (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off) and then hot packs after that. It also helps to do light stretching and take an over the counter pain relief. However, if you want to solve the problem versus just treating the symptoms, a visit to your Depew chiropractor can help.

Dr. William Palmer of Buffalo Chiropractic in Depew, NY is trained to help you relieve your sciatica by easing the pressure on your nerve through chiropractic adjustments, thereby resolving the pain. He can also provide you with at-home stretches and corrective exercises to help you rebuild strength and flexibility, thereby reducing your risk of future sciatic nerve pain. Most patients respond very well to this treatment option and are feeling good as new within a few weeks, if not sooner. Call today and schedule your appointment with Dr. Palmer, the Depew chiropractor with a cure for sciatica!