The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the body. It’s made up of five nerves that branch off from the spinal cord and exit from the lower (lumbar) spinal column. It then travels into the buttock, down the back of the thigh and into the leg.
When the sciatic nerve is inflammed, the condition is called sciatica . Not all leg pain is sciatica but almost all sciatica involves leg pain. Sufferers often have severe pain along the nerve path, usually in the buttocks, back of the legs, thighs and sometimes to the ankle, foot and toes. Ironically, along with all the pain and nerve sensations, the leg might also feel numb, tight, weak or restless.
Like most other conditions, sciatica has a wide variety of causes but the the relationship to the spine is very obvious. Misalignments in the spine known as “vertebral subluxations” can irritate the sciatic nerve which may result in sciatica. Chiropractors succeed in relieving the pain of sciatica by correcting these misalignments. Medication and drugs cannot correct misalignments and prove to be temporary relief only, masking symptoms and allowing further damage to be done over time.
Chiropractic treatment has been a blessing for millions of sufferers. Why suffer needlessly when treatment may be available to correct the problem?