In Dr. David's Words
You may have heard of sciatic pain or Sciatica. Sciatica describes pain that travels down the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches out from the lower back, passing through the hips, buttocks, and down each leg before stopping right above the knee. Typically, it affects only one leg. Those who have this condition experience painful shooting pain, which is very sensitive to even minimal movement or stimulus. It is also described as an electrical shock down to the leg. One might experience a burning sensation along with the sharp pain. At its worst, it is difficult to move due to the pain level.
So, where is the problem? Anatomically, the sciatic nerve is merged by the lower spinal nerves and passes through the piriformis muscle, which is located across the bottom of the glute region. This nerve is mostly affected by the piriformis muscle when it becomes tight, tensed, or inflamed. This is why Sciatica is also referred to as, “Piriformis Syndrome.” There are various factors that may irritate or inflame the piriformis muscle and the sciatic nerve, such as cumulative damage or stresses from prolonged sitting and/or poor posture, past accidents or injuries, lack of exercise, and so on. Due to the anatomical location, the sciatic nerve and piriformis muscle are easily irritated by structural deviation of the pelvic and lower back joints. If left untreated, it worsens over time and creates other symptoms in different areas the body over-compensates. Most likely, Sciatica does not go away by itself.
If you are experiencing sciatic pain, seek treatment right away. We recommend starting with chiropractic care as many chiropractic patients who have suffered from Sciatica reported positive results after receiving chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic is a well known alternative treatment as it focuses on correcting the misaligned pelvic bone and lower back spine, which are often the underlying contributor to Sciatica. There are a number of studies that show that Sciatica can be resolved with proper chiropractic care. If you are suffering from sciatic pain in the Kirkland and Redmond area, please call us to schedule a consultation today, or visit our blog to learn more.
