Have you ever felt a sharp, burning pain shoot from your lower back down one leg? That’s a classic taste of what sciatic nerve pain feels like. Sciatic nerve pain relief makes sitting, walking, and sleeping easier. In fact, sciatica treatment is in the “top 5 reasons” to go to the ER and the number one reason people visit a chiropractor in Tigard, OR.
Great news! Most cases of sciatica can be resolved, without surgery or long-term prescriptions. Let’s go deeper and look at what’s really happening and how our chiropractor in Tigard can help you keep working, stay active and… Be Well!
What Exactly Is Sciatica?
The word “sciatica” isn’t actually a diagnosis. Sciatica is a group of symptoms caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve that runs from the belt line into the foot making it the largest and longest nerve in the human body.
The sciatic nerve originates from the last two bones in the low back, runs through the pelvis and down each leg all the way to the foot. When the sciatic nerve gets irritated, inflamed or pinched, symptoms WILL show up ranging from mild tingling to sharp, radiating pain that makes everyday movement difficult, challenging even the easiest task.
Get this! Sciatica affects up to 40% of people at some point in life, costing tens of billions in lost productivity, lost earnings and medical bills. Sciatica doesn’t discriminate by age. It can happen to active adults, health conscious desk workers, and even weekend warriors who move the wrong way during a workout.
About the Sciatic Nerve: The Body’s Longest Highway
At the top end, the sciatic nerve is huge, about three fingers wide! It is the primary information superhighway for movement and feeling in your legs. It branches out between the bones of the low back and sacrum (L4–S3). Then it passes through the butt muscles in the pelvis and finally into smaller and smaller nerves that power your thighs, calves, feet and toes.
The sciatic nerve is not only wide, it’s actually the longest nerve in the human body. Because it travels such a long distance, there are multiple areas to evaluate as irritation anywhere along the path can cause sciatic nerve pain complaints. That’s why people with sciatica often describe pain that travels or changes location depending on posture or activity.
Sciatica is more than regional back pain. It changes how muscles work, affects balance and significantly interferes with daily activities.
Common Reasons for Sciatica Treatment
As you might guess, sciatica symptoms have multiple causes. A herniated or bulging disc is often the first suspect. The disc is filled with a thick “goo.” That “goo” can squeeze against the outer disc layers (bulge) or spill out onto the nerve (herniation.) Both create inflammation and pain that radiates down the leg.
Spinal or pelvic imbalance can alter posture and create irritation to the sciatic nerve. Even small misalignments can create big problems over time. These misalignments often cause gluteal spasms and squeeze the nerve between aggravated muscles (piriformis syndrome.)
Years of typical wear and tear on the spine can shrink the disc height, narrowing the nerve spaces. This puts stress on the system causing leg symptoms (arthritis.) Prolonged sitting, repetitive lifting, or imbalanced movement patterns can strain the spine and stress tissues beyond limits.
Typically, it’s a combination of factors over time and chiropractic helps identify which one is really at the root of the problem needing sciatica treatment.
Symptoms of Sciatica
Although sciatic nerve pain isn’t the same for everyone, the symptoms tend to follow a familiar pattern. In a “classic presentation,” sciatica is a sharp, burning, bolt of electricity from the lower back into the leg and foot. Often, it’s a sense of tingling, numbness or weakness in one leg or foot made worse when sitting, coughing or sneezing.
Many patients describe it as “a lightning bolt down the leg.” If the pain is localized to the low back, it may be something else. If it radiates down the leg, there’s a good chance the sciatic nerve is involved.
Chiropractic vs Medical Treatment
Traditional medical approaches for sciatica treatment often focus on reducing pain through medication, steroid injections, or, in severe cases, surgery. While these methods can offer temporary relief, they don’t always correct the cause and often cause bigger issues.
Alternatively, the goal of chiropractic care is simply to restore healthy motion and nerve communication. Rather than masking pain, it seeks to remove the irritation that’s causing it in the first place.
Neither approach offers immediate resolution, and both involve a process. Injections and operations are more appropriate after a neuro-surgical consult. These cases involve severe functional disability. Chiropractic excels in sciatica treatment with a non-invasive approach to end the agony. YES! It is possible to be you again.
Chiropractor, Tigard OR Helps Relieve Sciatica
With this chiropractor in Tigard, OR we look at sciatica as more than a severe pain problem. BeWell Chiropractic understands sciatica is a communication problem between your brain, spine, and body. When joints in your spine or pelvis lose proper motion, the nervous system can’t send or receive clear signals. This leads to pain, tightness and compensation patterns elsewhere in the body.
With gentle, precision chiropractic adjustments, our Tigard chiropractor restores lost motion and nerve communication. As motion improves, inflammation will decrease and normal nerve function can return. Remember… It’s a process!
Chiropractic adjustments in Tigard also help re-engage key muscles that support posture and stability necessary to prevent future flare-ups.
Many patients report relief not just in the leg pain itself, but also in how they move and feel overall. Patients stand taller, breathe easier, and sleep better as their body begins to function as it’s designed to. Active professionals keep working and weekend warriors stay active.
Here’s a typical example:
“Bob” came in with pain shooting down his right leg every time he sat for more than ten minutes. Using what he told me and the exam findings, I located an issue in his lower back and sacrum. Using gentle, precision adjustments to correct movement pattern and restore nerve function, his pain reduced by half in the first week, and within just a few weeks, “Bob” was sitting and walking comfortably again without pain medication.”
Supporting Recovery at Home
Recovering from sciatica involves more than what happens on the adjusting table. You must be actively involved! Here are a few key tips to support your recovery:
Staying active is important. Gentle movement keeps circulation healthy and reduces stiffness. Avoid long periods of sitting.
Mind Your Posture. Use lumbar support when sitting and keep your feet flat on the floor. When standing up; Get ready, move to the edge of the seat, sit UP, stand UP, THEN move forward
Stretch and strengthen as able. Stretch the hips and hamstrings; build core stability for long-term protection. No need to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, just tone and stabilize.
These tips, combined with consistent chiropractic care, will help prevent future flare-ups and allow you to be you again!
When to Call BeWell Chiropractic
While mild sciatic nerve pain often improves with time and self-care, it’s time to call if the pain lasts more than a few days or keeps returning. If you notice leg weakness or numbness, it’s getting serious. If you experience bowel or bladder changes, go to the ER! Call us after you’ve been cleared for care.
These are signs that the nerve is under significant stress. The sooner it’s addressed, the better the outcome.
Final Thoughts…
Sciatic nerve pain is miserable, but it doesn’t have to define your life. The key factor is finding and correcting the true source of irritation so your body can heal naturally.
At BeWell Chiropractic in Tigard, we help patients recover from sciatic nerve pain through precise, personalized chiropractic care. If pain is slowing you down, let’s uncover the cause and help you move freely again.
Schedule your consultation today! Take the first step toward regaining what matters most, your life!
