Sciatica

Sciatica with or without a herniated disc

Everything in your legs (skin, muscles, ligaments) is supplied by nerves that run from your lower back. The main one is the sciatic nerve. The typical course of the sciatic nerve is along the buttock, thigh, calf and bottom of the foot. If the nerve is pinched or irritated, pain, loss of strength or sensation can set in in your leg.

The role of your chiropractor is to clear this nerve.

Herniated discs

The vertebral disc is responsible for the flexibility of the spine, but it is also responsible for absorbing loads. It is a gelatinous mass made up of 70-90% water and surrounded by collagen fibres.

Irritation of the sciatic nerve can be caused by a herniated disc. This occurs when a disc is compressed between two vertebrae, when there is an accumulation of abnormally high pressure (rotational forces, vibrations, or repeated and excessive bending), then the disc moves out of its original position, overflows and directly or indirectly compresses the nerve root, giving rise to neurological lesions.

Disc herniations can occur at any level of the spine, but are much more common in the lumbar region (between L1 and S1) and in the cervical region (giving rise to cervicobrachial neuralgia or facial neuralgia).

The chiropractor will adjust the vertebrae that are literally crushing this disc, relax the muscles involved, correct the positions and give you all the advice you need to heal your sciatica or neuralgia. There are many different types of sciatica, and each case is different, but it is one of the most frequently treated conditions in our practice.

Supporting evidence:

There are dozens of studies proving the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment for sciatica. Here are two of them.

1. Researchers at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatchewan followed 50 people with sciatic pain caused by a herniated disc. A large majority of 90% of patients found relief with chiropractic care and 75% of patients who reported less pain also showed improvements in orthopaedic tests (J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 1995; 18:335-42).
2. Scientific evidence suggests that a programme of conservative care including spinal manipulation (chiropractic adjustment) should be completed before surgical consultation is considered” (Journal Manipulative Physiol Ther, 1998;21:288-94).