Sciatica is a condition characterized by pain that radiates from the lower back down the leg, caused most often by compression of the sciatic nerve. The most common cause of sciatica is a herniated disc in the lumbar spine, but other causes include spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome, and in rarer cases, muscular referral.
The symptoms of sciatica include sharp or shooting pain in the lower back, buttock, and leg, numbness or tingling in the affected leg, and muscle weakness. The pain may be worsened by sitting, coughing, sneezing, or tensioning the back of the leg or lower back.
Conservative management of sciatica involves addressing the root cause of the condition. This obviously can refer to the compressing structure, but also to underlying movement restrictions that may have led to the condition in the first place. Here at Apollo Performance Chiropractic, we make it our mission to help you develop routines and understandings of how to address pain, but even more important, is how to change function!
It is important to develop a long-term strategy for managing sciatica, as symptoms may recur if underlying issues are not addressed. We also refer patients for imaging and second opinions if conservative management is not effective, or if the diagnosis is unclear.
Over the years we have developed a large array of tools for treatment, and we pick and choose which tools are best suited for your plan of care!
