What are the Most Common Questions We Get about Sciatica?
Low back pain and Sciatica are among the most common complaints we see in Winnipeg. Not because they are more common in St. James and Crestview but because they are a leading cause of pain, disability, and office visits all over North America.
Every day we answer questions regarding sciatica. Here are the 3 most common questions we get.
1. If my leg feels tight from sciatica, what stretch should I do?
2. My back is feeling better; why does my leg still hurt?
3. Will this ever go away, and will there be any long term damage?
Question #1: What stretch should I do for my tight leg?
Not this one! Sciatica is caused by swelling, irritation, pinching or an otherwise compromised sciatic nerve. This nerve starts in your low back runs through your buttock and down the back of your leg all the way to your toes. Think of it as a really thick piece of dental floss starting in the small of your back and ending at your big toe.
One thing irritated nerves don’t respond well to is tension. Anything you do to put tension on that piece of dental floss is likely to irritate your nerve in the long run and prolong or even make your sciatica worse.
Any exercises that stretch that nerve or flex your low back are likely not the right exercises for you. There are a number of other exercises that may be helpful, some of which can be found HERE. There are better and worse ways to stretch your hamstring, and some are even safe for sciatica, but that is a topic for another day.
Question #2: My back is feeling better; why does my leg still hurt?
Many people think of sciatica as a lower back injury that shoots pain down the leg. So you have pain in both your back AND your leg.
Even though this is often the case, sometimes, your sciatic nerve can be quite irritated for a variety of reasons, even in the absence of significant low back pain.
This can create a diagnostic challenge and is one of the many reasons it is important to have a chiropractor do a history and examination to ensure that the diagnosis and subsequent treatment and advice is what is best for you and your condition.
Question #3: Will this go away, and will there be any long term damage?
Yes, and probably not. Yes, your low back pain and sciatic pain will very, very, likely get better. Depending on why your sciatic nerve is irritated, the recovery can vary from fairly speeding to somewhat prolonged (another reason for a complete chiropractic history and examination).
Long term nerve damage in cases of sciatica is uncommon. It is true that the longer the nerve is irritated, the less likely it is to recover completely, so early intervention and home exercise are important to not only speed your recovery but to ensure that your recovery is complete.
We recognize that you have a choice of who you trust with the treatment of your low back pain and sciatica, and sincerely, appreciate the trust you place in Sun Chiropractic.
