If you have been experiencing pain in your legs and feet, and have tried different treatments to no avail, then this may be the solution for you.
Understand The Sciatic Nerve In Oak Park IL
Your sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in your body. It starts at the lower part of your back, goes down through your buttocks, and into your legs. It controls the muscles in those areas and provides sensation to your thighs and feet. When this nerve becomes irritated it causes pain in your buttocks or lower back, and can extend down one or both legs. This painful condition is an inflammation of one or both of your sacroiliac joints – situated where your lower spine and pelvis connect. This condition is commonly known as sciatica.
How Oak Park Residents Can Better Understand the Pain of Sciatica?
The most common symptom of sciatica is pain that follows the route of the sciatic nerve, which typically affects only one side of the body. However, there are variations in how exactly that pain is felt–including tingling, aching, burning or pins-and-needles sensations. The feeling depends on where the sciatic nerve is being affected. Some patients may also feel pins-and-needles in their toes or foot and muscle numbness/weakness in their affected leg or foot. Sciatica often manifests slowly and then increases in intensity over time; it may be aggravated by sitting down, bending over or sudden movements such as sneezing or coughing.
Sacroiliac Pain Can be Aggravated by:
- Prolonged standing
- Bearing more weight on one leg than the other
- Stair climbing
- Running
- Taking large strides
In demographic studies, it most often affects people in their thirties to fifties, and is usually a result of aging rather than an injury.
Sciatic Nerve Pain Common Causes
A traumatic injury, such as a motor vehicle accident or a fall, can cause sacroiliac joint pain. Arthritis, wear-and-tear arthritis (osteoarthritis) and ankylosing spondylitis–a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine–can also cause pain in these joints. Pregnancy can cause added stress on these joints and lead to abnormal wear. Infection is rare but another possible cause. The most common cause is an injury that damages to one or more of the discs of the spine.
Top Treatment Options for Sciatica
Chiropractic treatment and other conservative care is effective for most people suffering from sciatica. Because there are many possible causes, the treatment plan will be tailored to your particular case. This may include spinal manipulation and adjustments, ice/heat therapy, ultrasound and rehabilitative exercises or spinal decompression.
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For Your Health,
Dr. Jill Dortch