The Top Causes of Sciatica Revealed
Bottom Line:
Sciatica is pain caused by the irritation or compression of nerves in your lower back. When a nerve is compressed or irritated by a spinal disc, bone spur, or ligament overgrowth, it can become inflamed and painful. This can occur due to age, the stress of gravity on your skeletal system, or injuries to your back. Stenosis (spinal column narrowing), disc herniations, or degenerative disk disease are other common causes of sciatica.
Why it Matters:
Think of your nerves like small, high-powered electrical lines. They transmit signals from the power station, your central nervous system, to all your body’s muscles, organs, and cells. The electrical lines or nerves in your low back travel down your hips, buttocks, and legs to your feet. If the nerve is irritated at the power station, it will affect everything along the path of that line. That is why a spinal disc irritating a nerve in your low back can result in pain down into your leg!
- Burning, numbness, or tingling in your leg could be caused by a pinched nerve in your low back.
- Staying active with daily exercise, stretching, and periodic chiropractic care can help prevent issues in your low back.
- Over 90% of patients with sciatica reported being "much better" or "better" after receiving chiropractic care.
Next Steps:
Just like your local power company needs to perform maintenance on their equipment, you should also perform periodic maintenance on your body. Periodic chiropractic care has the potential to increase your flexibility and range of motion, help keep your spinal discs healthy, and could even prevent future episodes of back pain! If you don't have your next visit schedule, be sure to reserve your next appointment today! A little maintenance today can go a long way towards a healthier tomorrow.
Science Source:
Outcomes of Acute and Chronic Patients with Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Confirmed Symptomatic Lumbar Disc Herniations Receiving High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude, Spinal
Manipulative Therapy: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study with One Year Follow-Up Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2014
Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long-Term Outcome? SPINE. 2011