Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve consists of five nerve routes off of the sacral region, combining outside the pelvis traveling down the back of the thigh, into the heel and sole of the foot. Compression, inflammation, or irritation can cause symptoms to travel down the sciatic nerve. Pain can be perceived as sharp and oftentimes numbness and tingling. Compression of the sciatic nerve can happen for various regions including: disc herniation, foraminal stenosis, and entrapments under muscle/ligaments/tendons. There are other, more serious reasons for sciatica to happen such as tumors, cysts, infections, or abscesses, but these cases are very rare. Treatment for sciatica consists of: chiropractic manipulative therapy, myofascial therapies, decompression therapy, and other additional services.
SOURCE:
- Popescu A., & Haewon L. (2020, March). Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32035569/
- 2. National Institute of Health (2020, March). Back Pain Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Low-Back-Pain-Fact-Sheet