Chicago Chiropractic News

Intense pain,numbness,tingling or burning in the buttock or down the leg possibly all the way to the feet is sciatica.It involves the sciatic nerve,the largest and longest nerve in your body and can be extremely painful.When the nerve becomes inflamed or traumatized, the result can be gradual pain down the leg or happen quite quickly.

This heals slower than simple back pain because it is more complicated.Sciatica is a particular difficult condition in that it involves muscle,bone,discs ligaments and nerves.Chiropractic identifies and corrects the underlying cause of the irritation.

In my office ,I use a non-force table that specializes in irritated,protruded or herniated discs.It is very successful for serious back and leg pain.

Labels: Sciatica-Chicago low back pain doctor

Conditions that may cause low back pain and require treatment by a chiropractor include:

Bulging disc (also called protruding, herniated, or ruptured disc). The intervertebral discs are under constant pressure. As discs degenerate and weaken, cartilage can bulge or be pushed into the space containing the spinal cord or a nerve root, causing pain. Studies have shown that most herniated discs occur in the lower, lumbar portion of the spinal column.

Sciatica is a condition in which a herniated or ruptured disc presses on the sciatic nerve, the large nerve that extends down the spinal column to its exit point in the pelvis and carries nerve fibers to the leg. This compression causes shock-like or burning low back pain combined with pain through the buttocks and down one leg to below the knee, occasionally reaching the foot. In the most extreme cases, when the nerve is pinched between the disc and an adjacent bone, the symptoms involve not pain but numbness and some loss of motor control over the leg due to interruption of nerve signaling. The condition may also be caused by a tumor, cyst, metastatic disease, or degeneration of the sciatic nerve root.

Spinal degeneration from disc wear and tear can lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal. A person with spinal degeneration may experience stiffness in the back upon awakening or may feel pain after walking or standing for a long time.

Spinal stenosis related to congenital narrowing of the bony canal predisposes some people to pain related to disc disease.

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease marked by progressive decrease in bone density and strength. Fracture of brittle, porous bones in the spine and hips results when the body fails to produce new bone and/or absorbs too much existing bone. Women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis. Caucasian women of northern European heritage are at the highest risk of developing the condition.

Skeletal irregularities produce strain on the vertebrae and supporting muscles, tendons, ligaments, and tissues supported by spinal column. These irregularities include scoliosis, a curving of the spine to the side; kyphosis, in which the normal curve of the upper back is severely rounded; lordosis, an abnormally accentuated arch in the lower back; back extension, a bending backward of the spine; and back flexion, in which the spine bends forward.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple “tender points,” particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. Additional symptoms may include sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, and anxiety.

Chiropractic is very successful for the above conditions. At Seaman Chiropractic, we have gentle non force techniques for even the most serious and painful low back conditions.

Labels: What causes low back pain ? Chicago low back pain doctor