Sciatica Treatment – Culver City, CA

End the Pain in Your Sciatic Nerve

Your body is filled with nerves, but one, in particular, is known to be particularly associated with pain in your lower back. The sciatic nerve is formed by 5 nerve roots in the lower spine, and it extends all the way down your legs to the soles of your feet. If this nerve is in pain, the condition is referred to as sciatica. Call us today if you’re experiencing a burning, tickly, or prickly sensation in your leg; Dr. Rozenberg can determine if it’s due to sciatica and develop an appropriate plan for sicatica treatment in Culver City, CA chiropractic office.

What is Sciatica?Who is at Risk for Sciatica?How Can Sciatica Be Treated?Sciatica FAQsWhat are the Symptoms of Sciatica?

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerves are irritated or compressed by nearby tissue. The most common cause is a bulging or herniated disc that is being pushed out from its normal location. It should be noted that sciatica often results in leg pain; this leads many patients to mistakenly think that the issue originates in the legs themselves. That’s why it’s so important to get in touch with our practice as soon as possible so that we can narrow down the actual source of the discomfort.

Who is at Risk for Sciatica?

One of the biggest risks for sciatica is spending a good deal of your time sitting down. This might include working at your computer, driving, or simply lounging about. However, while people with sedentary lifestyles are more likely to suffer from sciatica, even active people can develop the condition, especially if they participate in an activity that involves twisting their backs or carrying a large amount of weight. Sometimes sciatica will resolve on its own in just a few weeks, but in other cases therapy plans will be required.

How Can Sciatica Be Treated?

Spinal decompression is generally a good way to relieve the pain that’s associated with sciatica. The act of decompressing the discs that are pushing on the nerves, we can stop the pressure along with the pain. Other forms of treatment might be recommended depending on your case, and you might also need to undergo at-home treatments (such as certain stretching exercises). Some sciatica will go away on its own within a few weeks, but you should take the initiative in seeking care if the pain becomes severe.

Sciatica FAQs

Do you have any questions about sciatica and how we can treat it? We’re ready to help you get the answers you need! Dr. Rozenberg is an experience chiropractor who regularly receives questions from patients about chiropractic medicine and pain management; you can trust her to point you towards the best decisions for dealing with sciatic pain. Check below to see the answers to some of the questions that we’ve heard most often. Don’t be afraid to reach out if the answers you’re looking for aren’t on this page. 

Does Sciatica Ever Go Away on Its Own?

The simple answer is yes, sometimes sciatica will eventually go away on its own even without treatment. In many cases the pain will resolve after about two weeks. However, you’ll still experience considerable pain in the meantime, so it’s still worth seeking proper diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, not all cases of sciatica will resolve themselves. If sciatica lasts longer than 3 months, or if the pain it causes grows worse to the point that it gets in the way of daily functioning, it’s in your best interest to call our office immediately. Also, sometimes sciatica goes away but then comes back later, which indicates that it’s a recurring problem that definitely requires intervention.

How Can I Prevent Sciatica from Returning?

Even after sciatica has been successfully treated, there’s a possibility of a recurrence. You can’t always prevent the problem from coming back, but taking the proper steps can significantly lower your personal risk. Try to avoid sitting for long periods without a break, as this puts a lot of pressure on the sciatic nerve and your lower back. Make sure that you’re exercising on a regular basis to keep your abdominal and back muscles as strong as possible. And if you smoke, drop the habit altogether; it can contribute to disc degeneration over time, which contributes to sciatica and other back problems.

Is Sciatica Pain an Emergency?

Most of the time, while sciatica might call for intervention, it does not necessarily rise to the level of an emergency. However, if the pain becomes severe and grows worse over time, it’s in your best interest to seek care immediately. Furthermore, if sciatica has reached the point where you can no longer walk, have partially or fully lost control of your bowels, or notice severe weakness or loss of sensation in the groin and/or legs, then the problem is serious enough to be treated as an emergency.

Should I Walk with Sciatica Even If It Hurts?

Walking can actually go a long way towards helping to relieve sciatic pain. The exercise helps release endorphins that fight your pain and reduce inflammation. It’s important to make sure that you’re practicing proper walking posture so that you don’t aggravate your symptoms. Try to keep a slow pace with shorter steps in order to avoid irritating the sciatic nerve. Make sure your head and shoulders remain upright, stay focused on your breathing, and keep your stomach tucked in; these steps help engage your abdominal muscles and takes some of the pressure off your spine.

What are the Symptoms of Sciatica?

The sciatic nerve covers a wide area from the lower back, through the buttock, and down both legs. As such, if you have sciatica, you may experience symptoms in any of these areas. Since there are different causes of sciatica, the way you experience the symptoms might be different from that of other patients. If you’re not sure whether your pain is related to sciatica, you can schedule an appointment with us so that we can try to narrow down the true underlying issue. Below are some of the common warning signs.

Pain in a Specific Area

The most obvious symptom of sciatica is the pain that it causes. It usually radiates from the lower spine to the buttocks and down the back of your legs. The kind of pain you experience can vary quite a bit. For some patients, it’s just a mild ache while others suffer excruciating discomfort. Also, some people describe it as a sharp, shooting pain while others use words such as “burning.” Sometimes sciatica causes constant pain while in other cases it comes and goes. It can sometimes be worsened by sudden body movements, such as those you make when you sneeze. Sitting or standing for long periods of time can also aggravate sciatica.

Weakness

Sometimes sciatica can weaken your legs, making them become tired more quickly. This is particularly noticeable if only one leg is affected by sciatica; you may have trouble using the affected leg for extended periods of time even if the other one still feels fine.

Numbness

When the sciatic nerve is compressed or inflamed, the affected leg might feel numb as a result. This sensation can extend all the way to your feet, and it might manifest as a complete lack of feeling or as a constant pins and needles sensation.

Lack of Movement or Inability to Walk

Sometimes the sciatic nerve is so badly affected that you aren’t able to move your leg or foot properly. Your foot might stay limp even while you’re trying to move it. As a result of this limited movement and other symptoms of sciatica, you might find that it’s much harder for you to walk, and you could fall over more frequently.