Sciatica – The Cause and the Options

According to Harvard Medical School around 40% of people will deal with sciatica at some point in their life. A problem that impacts that many of us is worth understanding.

The sciatic nerve travels from the lower back through the buttocks and down each leg on both sides. It is composed of several major nerve branches that each end in a different part of your legs and feet.

The most common cause of sciatic nerve pain comes from a herniated disc in the spine. The herniated disc can put pressure on nerve roots that then send pain down the nerve. The pain can be anything from a small nuisance to extreme level 10 pain.

The Common Path

Most people that have sciatic pain head to the hospital looking for relief. That makes sense as most of us have been trained to do that for our entire lives.

Sometimes a medical doctor is the right option for sciatica in extreme pain situations, but is that always the correct path? If the most common cause of sciatica is herniated disc (a spine-related problem), then wouldn’t it make more sense to see a doctor focused on the spine?

A Non-Invasive Option

It would be hard to find a Doctor of Chiropractic that hasn’t worked with sciatic pain. It’s a very common condition in chiropractic offices and it should be. Chiropractors spend years in school learning how to identify the cause of this condition and how to correct it.

That doesn’t mean that every sciatic problem can be helped by a chiropractor, but it’s certainly the place that most patients should start. Starting with a non-invasive treatment option is always a good idea.

If you’re suffering with sciatic pain or know someone who is, please talk to our team at Carolina ChiroCare and Rehab today. We’re here to help in any way we can.