What are the different causes of sciatica and how can chiropractic help?

For many of us sciatica is a common complaint and can be debilitating on our daily life. It is something that is hard to explain exactly how it feels and sometimes we can be left feeling a bit misunderstood about the whole thing. Most importantly, we are often unsure of who to turn to for help. 

The purpose of this article is to give some causes of sciatica and give some solutions to your pain, and who you can turn to for help.

Causes:

Piriformis Syndrome

The piriformis muscle is a muscle that lies within the pelvis. It is an external rotator of the hip, so it helps to turn our foot outwards. This muscle lies either over or through the sciatic nerve. When this muscle becomes tight through overuse, it can then compress the sciatic nerve and cause pain. 

Slipped disc (disc herniation or disc prolapse)

The disc is the spongey part of the spine that sits between the vertebra. The disc has a strong outer shell and a softer middle. The disc can be affected by repetitive movements or strain, or sudden severe injury. A disc prolapse is where the shell expands and presses on the nerve, whereas a disc herniation (slipped disc) is where the inner part escapes through the shell and presses on the nerve. Either of these can affect the nerves that go down into your leg, and therefore can cause sciatica along with lower back pain.

Osteoarthritis or stenosis

Wear and tear are a common process and is actually a very natural part of aging, however certain lifestyle factors can influence the aging process and can make it more significant in a certain area - for example, repetitive strain or movements. If there is a focussed area of osteoarthritis in the lower back, it can narrow the space where our spinal cord sits and affect the nerves that go down the legs. This is called stenosis, and typically will cause sciatica down both legs rather than just one.

Sacroiliac or lumbar facet joint irritation

One of the more common factors we see, particularly in younger people, is inflammation within our joints which compress the lower lumbar nerves or sciatic nerves and therefore cause sciatica. The facet joints sit between each vertebra and right next to the nerves. If we exhibit factors such as poor posture, repetitive movement, experience stress or even have a fall or trauma then these can accumulate inflammation within our joints and then cause pain. 

All of the above can be addressed with conservative care such as chiropractic adjustments, dry needling, massage therapy and home advice with stretches.

At Wimborne Wellness Centre; we always start with a full assessment so we can effectively diagnose you and work out the best plan for you in order for us to help. If you’d like to book in for a consultation, please call us on 01202 604707 or email admin@wimbornewellnesscentre.co.uk. We look forward to helping you soon!