Sciatica - Information About Chiropractic Treatment
What Is Sciatica?
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Sciatica is unmistakable, if you are unlucky enough to suffer from it. Sciatica refers to injury or pressure on the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs from the lower part of your spinal cord, down the back of your leg, to your foot. If you have a sharp or burning pain, that radiates from your lower back or hip, and following the path of the sciatic nerve to your foot – then the chances are that you may well have sciatica.
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Thankfully true sciatica, as described above, is relatively rare and generally people who experience leg pain typically describe it as being more of a deep ache, or tingling in the toe(s) or foot.
Sciatica – Diagnosis and Chiropractic Treatment
To investigate your sciatica, we would perform a full and thorough physical examination for you. This would include orthopaedic, postural, and neurological tests; perhaps with the inclusion of x-rays. This will allow us to determine what type of sciatica you have and whether or not it would be responsive to chiropractic care. If we suspect that you have a more serious cause of the pain, then we would provide an MRI referral (via your GP) to investigate your sciatica in more depth.
Sciatica – The Role of Exercise
The General Chiropractic Council website states that there is POSITIVE evidence to support manipulation for sciatica/radiating leg pain, both in the short term and in the long term. We encourage you to partake in self-help, such as stretching or strengthening exercises. We would also make you aware of any postural issues you may have that would perhaps represent an underlying cause of your sciatica.
