Originating from the lower back and extending branches down each leg, the sciatic nerve, which is the largest in your body, can cause persistent and hard-to-ignore pain when inflamed, compressed, or irritated. This discomfort is especially noticeable when walking or standing. Although somewhat counterintuitive, sitting can exacerbate sciatic pain, as this position elongates the muscle, which increases pressure on the nerve. If you live or work in and around Midland, TX, Dr. Jason Golightley of Golightley Chiropractic & Wellness Center can identify the cause of sciatic pain and help relieve its problematic symptoms.
Sciatica Symptoms
Most people who face an aggravated or inflamed sciatic nerve will experience symptoms in their lower back, legs, hips, or buttocks. The pain from sciatica can be sporadic or persistent, as each person’s experience will vary; however, most find the following is characteristic of sciatica symptoms -
- Shooting pain.
- Muscle weakness.
- Numbness.
- Burning/Tingling sensations.
While sciatica is a recognized medical condition, it frequently manifests as a symptom of another underlying condition that compresses the sciatic nerve, causing the above-noted symptoms.
What are the Potential Causes of Sciatic Pain?
If you are experiencing sciatic pain and related symptoms, the cause of these symptoms may include -
- A misaligned or herniated spinal disc.
- The degeneration of one or several spinal discs over time.
- Constricted muscles can create pain trigger points.
- A swollen piriformis muscle.
- Years of poor posture.
- Prolonged/extended sitting.
- Pregnancy.
Sometimes, sciatica symptoms change and even improve over time. However, because the pain is often a symptom (and not the primary cause), it’s prudent to seek a chiropractor’s evaluation and guidance, so they can personalize a sciatica treatment plan that may include -
- Chiropractic adjustments and manipulations can gently realign the vertebrae.
- Therapeutic massage and complementary therapies to alleviate and reduce inflammation and tension created by pain trigger points.
- Stretching and physical therapy can enhance one’s range of motion as well as flexibility/mobility.
Remember, the symptoms related to sciatica symptoms have the potential to show up and then disappear, so if the pain you feel subsides, you may mistakenly conclude you are healed or uninjured. Only when the pain returns will it be apparent that you have not fully recovered from the inflamed sciatic nerve.
How Can a Leading Midland, TX, Chiropractor Help Relieve Sciatic Pain?
Sciatic pain will persist until this nerve is no longer aggravated or compressed. For more information on how we can help, contact Dr. Golightley or a staff member of Golightley Chiropractic & Wellness Center at 432-247-1363 or online.