Sciatica comes from pinched nerves in the back

Sciatica comes from pinched nerves in the back

Q: I occasionally suffer from sciatica. The pain down my left leg and rear can get very intense. Would stretching and icing my leg help at all?

A: Sciatica, just like any other condition, is best treated when the root cause of the problem is found and corrected. Symptoms of sciatica range from mild tingling to severe and immobilizing pain. Although the symptoms of sciatica travel into the buttock or down the back of the leg, the cause of sciatica almost always traces back to the spine.

The sciatic nerve can become pinched in various ways leading to symptoms. Sometimes arthritic bone spurs in the low back (the result of spinal decay) or herniated discs are to blame for the pinching. Sometimes the pinching is the result of a misaligned lower back vertebra and associated swelling.

Leg stretches and icing of the low back (not the leg) are often components of the treatment process for sciatica. However, in order to eliminate the underlying cause of sciatica, spinal correction is necessary. Not everyone with sciatica needs the same type of care. A chiropractor must determine the most effective way to correct your particular case of sciatica. Sometimes this involves chiropractic adjustments tailored to address your specific needs and sometimes referral to another specialist such as an orthopedist is necessary.