What’s causing that achy pain down my leg?

Sciatic pain is the pain that travels through your backside and down your leg.  In order for the pain to be diagnosed as sciatica the pain has to cross the knee.  Regardless of how far down the leg the  pain goes the sciatic pain you’re feeling comes from mechanical pressure on the sciatic nerve.  The nerve exits the lumbar spine through holes called the intervertebral foramen.  A number of different things can apply the unwanted pressure on the nerve including a bulged/ herniated disc, scar tissue near the spine, tight muscles in the gluteal region and more.  Medical professionals, including chiropractors, will run a series of tests to determine the cause and severity of the nerve compression.   Chiropractic care involving manual adjustments, and the lumbar flexion distraction technique have proven very successful in alleviating sciatic pain.  The lumbar flexion-distraction technique places the patient in a prone position, and gently flexes them at the waist while the chiropractor gently distracts the vertebra above the affected area.  This  helps to hydrate the disc while the pressure is taken off and opens joint spaces in order to decrease pressure on the nerve root.  If you have further questions pertaining to sciatica or other concerns please call our office for a free consultation Monday through Friday.