Chiropractic Orange County

Sciatica is a very common problem and it is often defined as pain that travels from the lower back or the leg via the sciatica nerve. The pain is often times a result of the pinching of the nerve root in the lower spine (lumbar area) that forms the sciatica nerve. Frequently, sciatica is the result of a herniated disc or damaged disc in the lumber spine which puts pressure on the sciatica nerve. The condition is often referred to as a radiculopathy and it means that a disc has moved from its normal position in the spine and is causing pressure on the radicular nerve located in the lower back.

Sciatica is most common among people between 30-50 years of age. There are less frequent cases where sciatica is the result of an injury or physical damage. Most of the time this problem is caused through a general running down of the lower back spinal areas.

Any symptom that results from an irritation of the sciatic nerve is classified as sciatica. This irritation may result from several combinations. The most common form of pain experienced in sciatica is from the hip to the calf of any one leg. The pain can scale down to the foot or reach up to the lower back. It is quite common to have difficulty controlling the leg at such times or even have the leg going numb.

The sciatica nerve is the biggest nerve in the human body. The nerve begins at the lumbar spinal cord. This is where the root of the sciatica nerve is location and from here it goes to the buttocks region. Pain is felt when the root of the nerve is irritated or pinched by any means. If a disc from the spinal cord slips out of its normal location then it can press down or pinch the sciatic nerve and bring about the symptoms mentioned.

The most common symptom is a consistent pain in one side of the buttock that goes down to the leg on the same side. This pain is very sharp and sitting or standing is very difficult. The affected leg may also experience numbness or general weakness.

Though relatively less common, an injury to the sciatic nerve can also cause this problem. The injury can even be a puncture wound to the upper thigh or the buttocks. People who spend way too much time sitting in one position or standing for too long are also at risk of developing sciatica because this puts a lot of pressure on the nerve. Increased use of computers is resulting in greater complaints about sciatica and low back related problems. It is even possible that foreign bodies or tumors may also cause irritation in the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica is often tested using EMG that records electric activity in muscles or through a nerve conduction test. Many people with sciatic complaints will have a two to five view x-ray series done on their lumbar spine.

What to do for sciatica is going to differ from person to person. In chiropractic, chiropractor’s work with the spine in order to restore normal position and function to not only the lumbar areas (which are most often involved with sciatic pain), but to other areas of the spine as well.

Where to Go
If you are seeking a chiropractic office in the Orange County area that can help you assess whether you have a sciatic nerve problem, contact one of the chiropractic offices listed here.

For Huntington Beach Chiropractic contact Dr. John Reardon at 17th St. Chiropractic

For San Clemente Chiropractic contact Dr. Tim G. Swift at Swift Health Chiropractic

For San Diego Chiropractic contact Dr. John Michals at Michals Family Chiropractic

For San Juan Capistrano Chiropractic contact Dr. Kevin Herson at The OC Chiropractor

Give your local chiropractor a call today and get started on the path to great health naturally, without the use of drugs and surgery.

And if you are seeking a chiropractor in areas other than Orange County, visit the chiropractic directory pages at planet chiropractic.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 15th, 2007 at 9:12 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.