Sciatica Relief in Capac, MI

What sciatica actually is

Sciatica is not a diagnosis so much as a description: pain, numbness, or tingling that travels along the sciatic nerve, from the low back through the buttock and down the leg, sometimes all the way to the foot. It can be a dull ache or a sharp, electric jolt that stops you cold.

The nerve gets irritated somewhere along its path. Most often it is a bulging or herniated disc in the low back pressing on the nerve root. Sometimes it is a tight muscle deep in the hip, or a joint that has stopped moving and inflamed the area around the nerve.

How Dr. Todd treats it

The goal is to take the pressure and irritation off that nerve. After an honest exam, and on-site digital x-ray if it is needed, treatment usually combines a few tools:

• Spinal decompression and traction. Cox-certified flexion-distraction and traction gently open the disc space and ease the pinch on the nerve root.
• Gentle adjusting. Hands-on or instrument adjusting to restore motion in the low back and hips.
• Soft tissue work. Graston Technique and vibration therapy to release the tight hip and buttock muscles that can trap the nerve.
• Pain-relieving therapies. Electrotherapy, red light, and cold laser to calm the inflammation while it heals.

When to get it looked at now

Most sciatica settles down with the right care, and the sooner you start, the less it tends to drag on. Get seen right away, though, if you have numbness in the groin, loss of bladder or bowel control, or fast-growing weakness in the leg. Those are red flags for the ER, not the chiropractor, and Dr. Todd will tell you so if that is what he sees.