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Dr. Steven G. Clarke / Chiropractic Physician High Street Rehab Medicare and Most Insurance Accepted |
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Treatment of Sciatic Nerve Pain / Sciatica Anyone who has suffered through a case of sciatica will agree that it is one of life's most agonizing experiences. The worst toothache imaginable is of the same magnitude as acute sciatica. Sciatica is a painful inflammation of the sciatic nerve that supplies the tissues of the thigh, the lower leg and the foot. It is commonly caused by a pinching of 1 or more spinal nerve roots between the vertebrae of the lower back. The sciatic is the largest nerve of the body. It is largest where it emits from the spine and gradually decreases in size as it passes down the leg into the foot. There are 2 sciatic nerves. One courses from the spine down the leg, and the other down the right leg. The roots of the sciatic nerve are in the lower spinal column. It is here that trouble most often occurs. Sciatic pain is tearing and sharp. It shoots down the sciatic nerve and extends into the hip, thigh, and back portion of the leg. It may rip into the ankle and foot. Although fairly constant, the pain sometimes lets up for an hour or sometimes for a day. It may be mild one minute, then rage agonizingly out of control the next. Sciatica most often starts with a long period of intermittent, mild low back pain. The pain is often so mild in the beginning that many sufferers cannot recall when it started. The human tendency is to ignore mild pain. Treatment may be unnecessarily complicated and prolonged if one waits until it becomes severe. Therefore, it is extremely important to have any recurring back problems corrected as early as possible. |