I came across a great article by Angela Kargus in the American Chiropractic Journal in January which discussed Sciatica.  Many of my patients here at Grant Chiropractic Health Center suffer from this and perhaps you do to. 

 

Although Sciatica is a relatively common form of low-back and leg pain, the true meaning of the term is often misunderstood.  Sciatica is actually a set of symptoms, not a diagnosis for what is irritating the nerve root and causing the pain.  There are many causes of the symptom of persistent pain felt along the nerve root from the low back, through the buttock and into the lower leg.  It usually occurs as a result of general wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine and not as a result of an injury although it can.

 

The symptoms of sciatica can vary from a mild tingling, a dull ache or burning sensation all the way to a pins-and-needles sensation most often in the toes or foot or numbness or muscle weakness in the affected leg or foot.  It can also be a sharp, lancinating electric like shock sensation. 

 

In my office, we diagnose sciatica (or more precisely, the cause of the sciatica), by taking a complete history.  We then perform a complete orthopedic, neurologic and chiropractic examination.  We test the reflexes, muscle strength and frequently take x-rays of the low back and pelvis.  Conservative treatment is very effective for the majority of patients.  We have many gentle techniques that work for 80-90 percent of the population.  Go to our web site by clicking the link to the right of this column.  We have several videos which show how we treat patients using very gentle methods.  Call our office at 860-620-9523 to see if we can help you.