The term sciatica is often misused. Patients who come in to see me in my clinic will inform me that their doctor told them they have sciatica. Sciatica is not a disease or condition; it is a symptom that can have many causes. For this reason, chiropractic care is a great choice for those suffering from sciatica, as a chiropractor is able to figure out the root cause.
What is Sciatica?
Let’s start first by discussing the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It runs from the base of your spine, down your buttocks and all the way down the back of your thigh and lower leg.
If you have pain, weakness, or numbness in the lower back and buttocks or leg and a burning or tingling sensation that travels down the leg, your doctor will diagnose sciatica. However, that is only half the story. Sciatica doesn’t mean that you have a problem with the sciatic nerve itself. It means that something is putting pressure on this long nerve and causing the pain and irritation.
What Causes the Symptoms of Sciatica?
The causes include:
- Inflammation of the muscles in the lower back or buttocks that can trap and irritate the sciatic nerve.
a herniated or bulging (“slipped”) disc (the most common cause) – when a soft cushion of tissue between the bones in your spine pushes out - spinal stenosis – narrowing of the part of your spine where nerves pass through
- spondylolisthesis – when one of the bones in your spine slips out of position
- a back injury
Can Chiropractic Help with Sciatica Butt Pain?
The answer is yes! In fact, chiropractic care can be the best way to help with the symptoms of sciatica butt pain because a chiropractic physician has the ability to get to the root cause and work on fixing that. This is different from a medical physician, who will often prescribe medication for the pain or tingling sensation. However, that doesn’t get to the source of the problem. It’s just a band-aid treatment. Chiropractic care, on the other hand, not only relieves the pain in the butt, sciatic butt pain and irritation but also helps to prevent it from coming back.
So next time you have a pain in the butt, you know you to call!
Dr. Michael St. Louis at Atlas Injury to Health Winter Garden FL is a highly experienced chiropractor, who is passionate about delivering meaningful chiropractic solutions that result in peace of mind and well-being. If you would like to learn more about chiropractic care or you need help with sciatica butt pain, there are many ways to get in touch with us. You can call our dedicated, friendly staff at 407-656-0390, send us an email at info@atlasinjurytohealth.com or message us on Facebook