Sciatica: What to do about it?

Many people with back, hip oR leg pain think they have sciatica. Although in common, use the term sciatica is actually old and out dated. Sciatica refers to back pain that radiates down the buttocks hip and leg. It can include numbness tingling and other sensations. In severe cases weakness of the leg muscles may also be present. But the truth is what people call sciatica is in reality a symptom of some other condition, not an actual disease process. All this confusion comes from the fact that the largest nerve in the body, known as the sciatic nerve, exists the back and runs from the back all the way down to the toes. So pain that follows the course of this nerve traditionally has been called sciatica. As we have just said, however that pain, numbness weakness and other symptoms attributable to sciatica are just that, symptoms. If you think you have sciatica or your doctor told you, you have sciatica, the first thing you should ask it, what is causing it? See your sciatic nerve simply doesn't decide to start hurting, to suddenly decide to make your leg tingle and feel numb, there is always an underlying cause and reason for the symptom of sciatica? Some of them care be very serious, although these are rare. More often a disc has slipped in your lower back and is pinching part of the sciatic nerve. If you are older, arthritis can grow inside your side and pinch the roots of the sciatic nerve. This is known as spinal stenosis. Another common cause of the symptoms of sciatica is a tight muscle in the middle of your buttocks called the piriformis muscle. When the pirisformis muscle goes into spasm it can pinch the sciatic nerve, causing the symptoms we often call sciatica. So I hope you now realize that sciatica is a symptom of some other disease, not a disease itself. If you realize that a slipped disc, spinal arthritis if it causes stenosis and an overly tight piriformis muscle can all cause symptoms of sciatica, you can figure out that they need completely different types of treatment. Matching the best treatment with the specific cuase of the symptoms of sciatica is the best way to relieve the symptoms of sciatica.

Dr. George Kukurin is a chiropractic neurologist, who specializes in the treatment of lower back, hip and leg problems like spinal stenosis, sciatica and pinched nerves. To find out how he might help you with your pain visit his website at
Chiropractors in Avondale