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Oh! The Pain of Sciatica!

Low back pain is the most common chronic pain condition affecting millions of Americans – more than $16 million is spent annually on treating it – and it affects all aspects of the sufferer’s life. But all low back pain is not the same. Some types of back pain are triggered by mechanical causes, such as over-exertion, and some by disc degeneration, such as arthritis. And approximately 1 in 5 cases of low back pain are caused by sciatica, a particular type of low back pain that follows the path of the sciatic nerve.

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It runs from your pelvis through your hip area and buttocks and down each leg. At the level of your knees, it divides into the tibial and peroneal nerves. The sciatic nerve controls many of the muscles in your lower legs and provides feeling to your thighs, legs and feet.

Unlike other causes of low back pain, sciatica is distinguished by moderate to severe pain radiating from the lower back and into the hip, buttock, and leg. Sciatica is often caused by a ruptured or herniated disc, which puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, causing chronic pain while sitting, walking, or even sneezing. The most common symptom of true sciatica is pain on the back of the thigh, in the lower leg, or foot pain that can be much worse than the accompanying lower back pain. Often a patient will have a previous history of lower back pain beginning a few days or weeks before the leg pain occurs, then the leg pain becomes worse than the back pain, and in some cases the back pain will completely disappear.

In the case of longstanding history of sciatica, the pain may gradually become localized to the buttocks and back of the leg. In this situation, the patient may have a vague aching pain that does not reach all the way to the lower leg or foot, though it may have done so earlier in the course of the disease

A thorough history and physical examination is an important part of the diagnosis of sciatica. Nerve root tension tests can be used to confirm the presence of sciatica by attempting to reproduce the discomfort with certain motions and body positions. These tests are performed by a chiropractor or doctor and involve moving the legs in certain ways that slightly stretch the sciatic nerve. If the patient experiences pain during these tests, an irritated sciatic nerve is likely to be a source of the pain.

Surgical treatment is available, but should be viewed as an option of last resort. About 300,000 lumbar disc surgeries are done each year for sciatica, and about one-third of those fail. Much less invasive treatments such as chiropractic therapy and physical therapy have generated excellent success for many patients, and should be considered first. With such non-invasive therapies, many patients will recover from sciatica spontaneously during a course of conservative treatment, sometimes accompanied by anti-inflammation medicines.

Getting early treatment is crucial treating sciatica without surgery, so if you are experiencing radiating pain through your lower back, hip, buttock and leg, see your chiropractor or doctor immediately. You may also contact HealthQuest Chiropractic for a free, no-obligation consultation on your low back pain. Just call 801-281-0555 to schedule your immediate, free consultation at the HealthQuest clinic nearest you.

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