Sciatica nerve pain, which is referred to as sciatica, can be a debilitating condition. Individuals with the condition often experience lower back and leg pain as well as numbness and tingling. Thankfully, our integrated practice offers sciatica relief in Anniston, AL, so that you can manage your symptoms and resume your active lifestyle.
Book OnlineCauses and Symptoms of Sciatic Nerve Pain
When a medical professional diagnoses sciatica, they are diagnosing you with a set of symptoms, not making a determination on the underlying cause of your sciatic nerve pain. Your lower back and leg pain can be caused by a variety of factors, including a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis or extremely tight buttock muscles, which are known as piriformis syndrome.
All of the mentioned conditions can cause a compression of the sciatic nerve, resulting in lower back pain and leg pain. It can also cause numbness and tingle in the legs, muscle weakness and difficulty walking. Most individuals with sciatic nerve pain notice an increase in severity after long periods of sitting.
Treatments for Sciatica Relief from Our Practice in Anniston
We provide treatments that can help you find sciatica relief, and the first step involves getting a complete diagnosis. Diagnosing the causes of your sciatic nerve pain involves performing a physical examination and taking a detailed medical history. In some cases, we may also need digital images of your spine in order to determine the exact location of your back injury and its severity. Once we have a complete diagnosis, we can create your custom treatment plan, which can include chiropractic adjustments, spinal decompression, physical therapy and massage therapy.
- Chiropractic Adjustments – If your sciatic nerve is being compressed due to a misalignment in your spine, chiropractic adjustments can help. These are short, swift thrusts that are designed to push minimally misaligned vertebrae back into their proper positions. This treatment also helps reduce inflammation around the vertebrae, which can help lower your symptoms.
- Spinal Decompression – When sciatic nerve pain is caused by a herniated disc or pinched nerve, spinal decompression can help. This treatment stretches the spine, which increases the spaces between the vertebrae. As the spaces are increased, herniated discs have the room they need to retract and refill with fluid. This helps un-pinch the sciatic nerve and can help lower pain levels.
- Physical Therapy – Physical therapy is essential for individuals with sciatic nerve pain. As you become less and less mobile due to your back and leg pain, your muscles become weak. Physical therapy involves performing extremely specific exercises in order to rebuild back and leg strength. There are also exercises that can help temporarily reduce the pressure on your sciatic nerve during flare-ups.
- Massage Therapy – In some cases, muscle pain and spasms can contribute to your lower back and leg pain. Massage therapy helps by relaxing the muscles and helping them release lactic acid, which can cause muscle pain and tightness after activities that involve physical exertion.
Sciatica and Disc Frequently Asked Questions
What is sciatica?
Sciatica is a term used to describe symptoms associated with irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve or the spinal nerve roots that contribute to it. Symptoms may include pain that travels from the lower back or buttock into the leg, along with possible numbness, tingling, or weakness. Sciatica describes a pattern of symptoms rather than a single diagnosis, so identifying the underlying cause is important when determining appropriate care.
What causes pain to travel down the leg?
Pain that travels from the lower back or buttock into the leg can occur when a spinal nerve is irritated or compressed. Possible causes include disc problems, narrowing around a nerve, inflammation, or other musculoskeletal conditions. Not all leg pain originates in the spine, however, which is why an examination is important for determining the likely source of the symptoms.
What is the difference between a disc bulge and a disc herniation?
Spinal discs sit between the vertebrae and help absorb and distribute forces through the spine. A disc bulge generally describes a broader extension of disc tissue beyond its usual boundary, while a herniation typically refers to a more localized displacement of disc material. Either finding may occur with or without symptoms. Imaging findings therefore need to be interpreted together with the patient’s symptoms and physical examination.
Can sciatica occur without severe back pain?
Yes. Some people with sciatica experience significant pain, tingling, numbness, or other symptoms in the buttock or leg while having relatively little lower-back pain. The location and intensity of symptoms depend partly on which tissues or nerves are involved. An examination can help determine whether leg symptoms may be related to the lower back or another source.
What symptoms may indicate nerve involvement?
Pain that travels along an arm or leg, numbness, tingling, altered sensation, or muscle weakness can indicate possible nerve involvement. Changes in reflexes or certain movements may also be identified during an examination. Because neurological symptoms can range from relatively minor to medically urgent, new, progressive, or significant symptoms should be appropriately evaluated.
When is sciatica an emergency?
Seek immediate medical attention if sciatica or severe lower-back pain is accompanied by new loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin or saddle area, rapidly worsening leg weakness, or other significant neurological changes. These symptoms can indicate a serious condition requiring urgent medical evaluation rather than routine conservative care.
How is sciatica evaluated?
Evaluation typically begins with a detailed history of your symptoms, including where the pain travels, when it began, what aggravates it, and whether you have numbness, tingling, or weakness. A physical examination may assess movement, strength, sensation, reflexes, and relevant orthopedic or neurological findings. Imaging may be considered when clinically appropriate and when the results are likely to affect diagnosis or treatment planning.
Will I need an MRI?
Not everyone with sciatica requires an MRI. MRI may be appropriate when symptoms or examination findings suggest significant nerve or disc involvement, when serious underlying conditions need to be investigated, or when symptoms are not progressing as expected. The need for imaging should be determined individually based on your history, examination findings, and clinical circumstances.
Can chiropractic care be appropriate for sciatica?
Chiropractic or other conservative care may be appropriate for some patients with sciatica, depending on what is causing the symptoms and whether there are contraindications to treatment. An examination is necessary before recommending care. Patients with significant or progressive neurological deficits or other warning signs may require additional medical evaluation instead.
What is spinal decompression?
Nonsurgical spinal decompression is a conservative treatment that uses controlled mechanical traction to apply forces to the spine. It may be considered for selected patients with certain disc-related or other spinal conditions. Whether decompression is appropriate depends on the patient’s diagnosis, health history, examination findings, and potential contraindications.
Is spinal decompression appropriate for everyone?
No. Spinal decompression is not appropriate for every patient or every cause of back and leg pain. Certain medical conditions, injuries, previous procedures, or examination findings may make another approach more appropriate. Anniston Chiropractic evaluates each patient before determining whether decompression should be considered as part of a care plan.
How long does conservative disc care take?
There is no universal treatment timeline for disc-related problems. Recovery can be influenced by the nature and severity of the condition, neurological involvement, how long symptoms have been present, overall health, activity demands, and response to care. Progress should be monitored and recommendations adjusted when necessary. A particular recovery time or result cannot be guaranteed.
What activities should I avoid during recovery?
The activities that should be modified or temporarily avoided depend on your condition and symptoms. Repetitive bending, twisting, heavy lifting, prolonged sitting, or movements that consistently increase radiating pain may need to be modified in some cases. Complete inactivity is not necessarily appropriate either. Dr. Wade can provide individualized guidance based on your examination and stage of recovery.
Can sciatica return after it improves?
Yes. Sciatica can recur, particularly if the underlying problem or contributing factors remain present or if a new injury occurs. Appropriate movement, exercise, lifting mechanics, activity modification, and other individualized recommendations may help reduce certain risk factors. However, no treatment or prevention strategy can guarantee that sciatica will never return.