Many people misuse the term sciatica. Sciatica is pain along the path of the sciatic nerve, which extends from the lower back down each leg. Sciatica is a symptom (like itching), not a diagnosis (like Parkinson’s disease). Sciatica can range from an occasional nuisance to excruciating pain that makes walking nearly impossible. There can be multiple underlying reasons for your sciatic nerve pain. A chiropractor can help find the root cause of the problem with a thorough spinal exam and may order diagnostic imaging such as an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan to examine the underlying structures.
To answer the question, ‘What is sciatica?’ explaining some of the relevant anatomical structures is helpful. The sciatic nerve is the longest and the widest nerve in your body. It begins in the lower back as five separate nerves that extend from five different vertebrae – L4, L5, S1, S2, and S3. These nerves meet up to form one large bundle that runs through the buttocks and down the entire length of the leg. The sciatica nerve is responsible (directly or indirectly) for nearly all the sensations in your leg, including the skin of the thigh and glutes.
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or irritated. The pain is felt in the lower back and leg, but the site of the pain isn’t always the site of the underlying issue. Since the sciatic nerve is so long and travels around or through the large muscles of the buttocks, it takes an expert to determine if the pain is coming from disc compression, muscle spasms, or something else. Again, sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis.
While sciatica is most often associated with pain, other symptoms may be present, such as tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. The pain can be nearly constant or intermittent. If you think you are experiencing sciatic nerve pain, keep a record of the pain's location, duration, and intensity. Your specific history plays a vital role in determining the cause of the pain.
Treatment for sciatica depends on the underlying cause, so there is no one recommended course of treatment for all sciatic pain sufferers. Chiropractors use a variety of noninvasive approaches that include spinal manipulation, physical therapy, targeted stretching, and active muscle release. They’ll also discuss the role that nutrition and hydration play in reducing tissue inflammation and keeping discs healthy. The spine, discs, muscles, and soft tissue all have a role to play in sciatica and should be evaluated and treated as a connected system.
The most important thing to take away from this article is that sciatica (sciatic nerve pain) is a symptom of an underlying condition. You’ll only start to get better once the underlying condition is identified, which is done through an exam, history, and recommended diagnostic imaging.
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