What triggers sciatica? How does It happen and What to do

How sciatica happens

The sciatic nerve is about as thick as one of your fingers. It runs from your lower back and down each buttock and leg. When irritated, inflamed, or injured, you have the burning, tingling, stabbing discomfort chiropractors call sciatica. Sometimes, just bending or turning a certain way triggers the pain.

The pain may be variable or constant. It may originate in nerve impingement from an accident or in a degenerative condition, such as arthritis. Bad posture while sitting, obesity, pregnancy, and traumatic injury contribute to this condition which the Cleveland Clinic says plagues 40 percent of American adults.

Additional contributing factors include:

• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Herniated discs
• Deteriorated discs
• Spinal stenosis (the narrowing of the spinal canal due to advanced age or congenital malformation)

Diagnosis and treatment of sciatica

Pure Health Chiropractic and Wellness in Northern, KY, apply chiropractic exam techniques, other diagnostic tests, and imaging (MRI, CT) to determine the cause of sciatica pain. Then, formulate a treatment plan geared to findings.

Often, chiropractic adjustments are foundational to the relief of sciatica pain. Other interventions include:

• Ice packs or heat therapy
• TENs (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
• Ultrasound therapy
• Stretching exercises and other kinds of physical therapy
• Corticosteroid injection therapy to reduce inflammation
• Over the counter ibuprofen for pain and inflammation
• dry needling techniques

Find out more about sciatica

At Pure Health Chiropractic and Wellness, in Union, KY, your chiropractor is an expert in the relief of headaches, back and neck pain, and of course, sciatica. If you're ready to live pain-free, call us for a consultation at (859) 647-7780.