Sciatic Nerve Pain

Major Chiropractic sees patients for a variety of reason but one of the most prevalent is back pain, specifically lower back pain. According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, back pain in workers between the ages of 40 and 65 costs employers an estimated 7.4 billion dollars a year. When lower back pain presents as a shooting, stabbing pain that begins in the lower back, on one side, extends through the buttocks and then goes down the leg causing excruciating pain the likely diagnosis is sciatica. Sciatica should be primarily diagnosed by an MD and then you may be referred to a chiropractor for relief. You will have x-rays taken to see if it is sciatica.  If your particular sciatic nerve pain is open to chiropractic treatment then your chiropractor is likely to consider adjustments, ice/cold therapy or ultrasound.

Sciatica occurs when the spongy cartilage between the vertebrae breaks down and allows the disc to bulge out impinging upon the sciatic nerve. This irritates the nerve and causes the pain. Another common occurrence of sciatica type pain is in women is pregnancy but this is not always the actual sciatic nerve being irritated, but instead can be pelvic girdle pain. See your doctor to make sure which you have if you are pregnant.     Until you can get it diagnosed you will find sitting and walking to be quite painful so laying on your back will give most relief. You can experiment to find out if the application of cold or heat helps your particular case.