Sciatica is leg pain caused by a pinched nerve located at the spine. The sciatic nerve originates from the lower spine, where nerve roots connect together and form the thick nerve. The sciatic nerve runs the length of each leg from the buttock down to the foot.
Sciatica pain is felt as pain running down your leg and the pain pattern is determined by the nerve root causing the problem. Pain will start in the low back and can extend as far as your toes.
Sciatica is a form of pain that is called “radiculopathy” meaning that it often follows the path of a single nerve root such as the Lumbar 4 (L4), Lumbar 5 (L5) or Sacral 1 (S1).
Causes of Sciatica Pain:
- Lumbar herniated disc
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spinal stenosis.
- Facet joint issues.
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
- Bone spurs.
- Common in over 50 yrs. old.
Symptoms of Sciatica Pain:
- Pain down one side of low back, hip, thigh, lower leg.
- Pain worse with sitting or standing.
- Pain that is burning, tingling, or searing.
- Pain can be sharp.
- Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg, foot or toes.
- Pain in the leg will be worse than the actual back pain.
I approach treating your low back pain to your presentation, which involves:
- Analyzing your posture – how is your spine and pelvis aligned?
- Discussing potential lifestyle dynamics impacting the joint.
- Understanding how other factors such as arthritis can aggravate the problem.
- Muscle testing the muscles comprising the hip for weakness and pain.
- Targeting effected muscles, releasing motor points, trigger points and relaxing the fascia
- Providing exercises to continue treatment success between acupuncture treatments
Call (914) 572-5137 today or click here to schedule an appointment & learn more about how we can help you.