Sciatica – for those who have experienced it – can be a debilitating pain. It can affect your ability to walk, sit comfortably, stand, and even sleep.
What is sciatica? Sciatica is nerve pain or irritation due to compression or injury to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve travels from the low back down through the hips, buttocks, and down the back of each leg. Common symptoms of sciatica are pain into the hips, buttocks, and pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness radiating down the leg(s).
Sciatica often boils down to 4 main causes: A lumbar disc injury (herniation, bulge, or degeneration), spinal misalignment, lumbar stenosis, or the piriformis muscle. Below these 4 causes will be explained in more detail.
Lumbar Disc Injury: The lumbar discs act as cushions or shock absorbers for the spine. The discs also allow for separation between the vertebrae. This allows the nerves of the low back to freely exit the spine. Lumbar disc injuries commonly happen due to bending and twisting e.g. picking up a heavy box. The irritation and/or herniation of the disc causes inflammation and then compression of the sciatic nerve roots. If the lumbar discs start to thin out (visible on x-rays), then this decreases the space between the vertebrae. This crowds the nerves exiting the spine and can cause compression of the nerves. Spinal discs commonly start to thin because of a long-standing misalignment gone untreated.
Spinal Misalignment: The joints of the spine are meant to be freely moveable. Misalignment of these joints restricts the sciatic nerve’s ability to freely exit the spine. This can cause irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve.
Lumbar Stenosis: This is a narrowing of the spinal canal. A narrow spinal canal can crowd the nerves exiting the spine, leading to compression. Lumbar stenosis is best seen on an MRI of the lumbar spine.
Piriformis Muscle: The piriformis muscle overlaps directly over top of the sciatic nerve. Spasm or tightness of this muscle can cause compression to the sciatic nerve that sits directly below the piriformis. Long hours of sitting can cause compression of the sciatic nerve. In many cases, the piriformis muscle becomes weakened. This causes tightening of the muscle and leads to compression of the sciatic nerve.
How Does Chiropractic Care Help with Sciatica?
Chiropractic care focuses on restoring proper motion to the joints of the lower back. Proper motion stops the disc from thinning further and decreases crowding on the nerves. Restoring motion to the joints also takes pressure off of the piriformis muscle. Simple muscular strengthening and stretching exercises further relieve irritation to the piriformis muscle.