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Sciatica

Sciatica Relief
in Lutz, FL

That shooting pain down your leg is one of the most recognizable nerve symptoms there is. It is also one of the conditions we see the most dramatic results with.

What Is Actually Happening

It Starts in Your Lower Back, Not Your Leg

Sciatica is not a diagnosis on its own. It is a symptom of something compressing or irritating the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in your body. That compression almost always originates in the lumbar spine or piriformis muscle in the buttock.

The most common causes are a disc herniation or bulge at L4-L5 or L5-S1, degenerative disc disease, a bone spur in the lumbar spine, or piriformis syndrome where the muscle itself is compressing the nerve. Each of these has a different treatment approach, which is why a proper evaluation matters enormously.

In my 10 years as a chiropractor in Lutz, FL, sciatica is one of the conditions I see people self-treating the longest before they come in. They stretch, they try muscle relaxers, they rest. None of those things address the compression itself. When we correct the underlying structural problem, the nerve stops being irritated and the symptoms resolve.

Sciatica Symptoms We Treat

  • Shooting pain from low back into leg
  • Burning or tingling down the leg
  • Numbness in the foot or toes
  • Weakness in the affected leg
  • Pain that worsens with sitting
  • Sharp pain with coughing or sneezing
  • Difficulty standing from seated position
  • One-sided buttock and hip pain

Treatment

Addressing the Compression, Not the Pain Signal

Depending on what is causing your sciatica, we may use lumbar adjustments, spinal decompression, soft tissue work to the piriformis, upper cervical corrections, or laser therapy directed at the inflamed nerve root. Often it is a combination of these.

Many sciatica patients have been told they need a steroid injection or surgery. In most cases, conservative chiropractic care with or without decompression is more effective long-term and carries none of the risks of those procedures. Back surgery for sciatica has a surprisingly poor long-term success rate, and research consistently supports trying conservative care first.

We treat patients with sciatica from Lutz, Pasco County, Odessa, and the surrounding areas. If you have been dealing with this for weeks or months, come in and let us take a proper look.

Serving

Lutz, FLPasco County, FLOdessa, FLLand O' Lakes, FLWesley Chapel, FL

FAQs

Sciatica: Common Questions Answered

Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, from the lower back through the buttock and down the leg. It is almost always caused by compression of the sciatic nerve, most commonly from a disc herniation at L4-L5 or L5-S1, a vertebral misalignment, bone spurs, or piriformis syndrome where the piriformis muscle compresses the nerve.

Sciatica Does Not Have to Be Your Normal

Book your evaluation at our Lutz, FL office. Most sciatica patients see meaningful improvement within a few weeks of starting care.

Book Your Evaluation