What is sciatica?
Sciatica is a symptom that causes numbness, tingling, or sharp, shooting pain from your lower back through your buttocks and the backs of your legs to your feet. In most cases, sciatica symptoms occur on only one side of your body along the length of your sciatic nerve, though it’s possible to have symptoms on both sides of your body. You may also experience sciatic pain only in your foot, thigh, or buttock depending on the severity of your condition.
What causes sciatica?
Sciatica is caused by any condition that puts pressure on your sciatic nerve or causes inflammation of the nerve. Common conditions that cause sciatica symptoms include:
- Piriformis syndrome
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Intersegmental joint dysfunction
- Spinal stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Disc herniations
Postural changes associated with pregnancy and being overweight or obese can also cause symptoms of sciatica.
What are the symptoms of sciatica?
In addition to the obvious nerve discomfort caused by sciatica, the condition can also cause other symptoms like:
- Lower back pain
- Buttock pain
- Cramping in the muscles of the leg and foot
- Weakness in the muscles of the leg and foot
- Clumsiness or loss of coordination in the lower leg and foot
Anything that puts tension on the sciatic nerve, like stretching to touch your toes, can further aggravate your symptoms. Sitting or walking for long periods may also lead to flare-ups.
How is sciatica treated?
At Reno Regenerative Medicine, the team takes a comprehensive approach to treating sciatica to address all aspects of the condition. To relieve the nerve pain and discomfort associated with sciatica, the team may recommend:
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Traction
- Cold laser therapy
- Specific rehab exercises and stretches
- Postural cues
- Lifestyle modifications, such as changing your workstation or removing your wallet from your back pocket when sitting
The team also provides at-home recommendations to relieve your discomfort, like using ice or performing stretches throughout your day to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve. When in-office and at-home therapies are combined, you can recover from sciatica more quickly and avoid the need for more invasive procedures, like joint injections or surgery.
Get effective sciatica relief from the team at Reno Regenerative Medicine by scheduling a visit online or by phone now.
