Family Health Options Treatment and Resource Centre
133 Curtis Street St. Thomas, ON N5P 1J4 637-7778
Sciatica
Sciatica is severe pain caused by the irritation or compression of one of the nerve roots of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body. The pain is felt along the course of the nerve, through the buttocks, the back of the thigh and leg, and down the inside of the leg to the sole of the foot. The irritation or compression occurs at the lower end of the spinal column, one of the most vulnerable areas of the back.
Sciatica may be the result of cumulative traumas, a sharp or false movement, a strenuous attempt to lift something, or a jolt caused by a violent coughing or sneezing episode. The pain is felt in the buttocks, frequently reaching as far as the thigh, calf, and even down to the sole of the foot.
Many people believe that sciatica can be caused by 'catching cold.' While cold may aggravate the pain it does not cause sciatica.
Ninety percent of sciatica cases are caused by compression of the roots of the sciatic nerve between the intervertebral disk and ligaments due to a dysfunction of the vertebrae In other words, vertebral subluxation (dislocation).
Sciatica may appear gradually or suddenly, and may be the result of a trauma that occurred several months or even several years before. It sometimes appears while the person is walking or upon waking in the morning.
Although the pain does eventually disappear, further attacks remain a possibility. It is extremely unusual for a vertebral subluxation to correct itself. Unless a chiropractor intervenes, the pain will return sooner or later.
The chiropractor eradicates the cause of the irritation and the pain at the same time. For this type of problem, chiropractic treatment is safe, natural, and effective, eliminating the need for medication or surgery.
Your chiropractor is the best health-care professional to treat any
problem related to the nervous system or the musculoskeletal system. As
long as the disorder is not genetic or infectious, the chiropractor can
intervene, since the problem is frequently a non-invasive pathology that
can be reversed quite naturally and treated without medication or surgery.
Chiropractors have undertaken four to five academic years of education
and clinical training in chiropractic schools, encompassing no less than
4,500 hours of instruction. They learn to diagnose health problems
through a combination of questionnaires, examinations and X-rays.
For those who prefer to avoid medication and surgery as much as possible,
chiropractic care is the natural choice.