Pain that goes down the buttock and back of the leg is known as sciatica. It’s very painful and it can cause low back discomfort and a burning sensation. What you need to know about sciatica is that it’s the symptom and not the problem.

Compression of the roots of the nerve that are the sciatic nerve is actual problem. Most of the time sciatica is seen in 30-50 year old people and may or may not happen when an injury takes place. Generally it happens over time from general wear and tear of the spine.

The nervous tissue that comes from the spinal cord in the lower back is the sciatic nerve. The nerve splits and the tissue goes between the vertebrae and creates the sciatic nerve. Partway down the thigh the sciatic nerve splits and becomes the peroneal and the tibial nerves. The peroneal nerve goes to the front of the leg while the tibial nerve makes its way down to the sole of the foot.

Compression of the sciatic nerve is what usually causes sciatic pain and it’s found in the area of the spine where the nerve forms. When the pelvic bone or vertebrae become restricted or misaligned the pain occurs. Scientists have found osteoarthritis that causes bone spurs or a ruptured spinal disc can also cause compression leading to sciatic nerve pain. A disease or tumor may also cause compression and create sciatic nerve pain.

When the cause of the pain is found a chiropractor can help you overcome the pain and put you on your way to a full recovery. A safe and gentle adjustment is made so the alignment is corrected. It’s important that you don’t ignore this pain. You need to see chiropractic care quickly so the pain is alleviated.

Fibromyalgia is defined as pain affecting the tendons, muscles, and ligaments. A person with fibromyalgia experiences pain throughout their body due to the soft tissue elements. The pain can feel like burning or twitching and is very painful. Fibromyalgia has nothing to do with the nervous system or arthritis like many believe. The pain suffered by a fibromyalgia patient is described as a knot in the muscle. Depending on the severity it’s possible motion will be restricted.

The one thing that makes it difficult to handle fibromyalgia is the pattern it follows. There is really no rhyme or reason to the pattern and it can happen at any time which makes it impossible to determine when and where an attack will happen.

There are a number of symptoms that are related to fibromyalgia and they include:

• Jaw pain is one that’s painful as it hurts both the face and head. The ligaments and muscles that surround the temporomandibular joint is affected.
• Concentration is difficult and is sometimes called “fibro-fog”. This makes it difficult to stay focused and ultimately work.
• Sleep is difficult due to the pain so it’s not uncommon for a fibromyalgia sufferer to continually feel tired.
• Exercise is nearly impossible because it generally increases the pain. It has been found that a small amount of mild exercise is not too bad.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome is another symptom. A number of suffers experience bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain.
• Chronic headaches such as migraines are often experienced. Most people with chronic headaches will have two or three a week.

There are many other symptoms such as swollen legs and arms, dry mouth, acid reflux, dizziness, sweating, balance issues, or shortness of breath to name a few. Sensitivity to odors, lights, sounds, and medication are also common in fibromyalgia suffers.

When the nerves outside of the spinal cord and brain are damaged this is referred to as neuropathy. The root cause of the symptoms is damage to the nerve axons which is commonly known as peripheral neuropathy. The axons are similar to fiber optics in that they communicate the impulses and messages in similar ways.

The numbness and pain usually in the feet and hands is caused by neuropathy. Most times it affects the nerves that control motor and movement. There are times when it affects the ability to detect cold and hot and can also affect the intestines, heart, and bladder.

The pain someone with neuropathy experiences is different for each person but most times the characteristics are the same, which consists of a burning or tingling sensation. The time differs for each person but overall it lessens with time once treatment has begun. It is important to understand that neuropathy is associated with another condition and once that’s been diagnosed the symptoms will start to fade.

Finding the cause or condition will take time, but once it’s found the healing process will begin. During the time before and during the initial treatment the person with neuropathy will have times when it’s just too painful to manage daily or routine tasks.

It’s important to know the nervous system has two parts, the first of which is called the peripheral nervous and the second is the central nervous system. The central nervous system contains the spinal column and the brain while the peripheral nervous contains the remaining nerves and nerve endings throughout the entire body. The brain and spinal cord could be thought of as the central communication station while the rest of the body is the outlying communication stations. Everything passes through the central nervous system first.

The spinal cord and the brain are very important by nature so they must be protected by stronger defenses and that would be the spinal column and the skull. Those defenses protect and keep the nerves safe from harm because they can be life threatening if damaged.

The defenses aren’t full proof by any means though. The vertebrae in the spinal cord can move and become misaligned. This misalignment can damage the spinal cord and peripheral nerves which can become compressed or irritated and cause neuropathy.

This can be avoided when the knowledge and skills of a chiropractor are used. The chiropractor has the ability to realign the spine which alleviates the symptoms brought on by neuropathy. With minor life style changes and treatment anyone with neuropathy can live pain free.

Every day, thousands of people ask themselves how they can rid themselves of low back pain and discomfort. Whether you are new to back pain or one who has suffered with it in the past, one thing is for certain, back pain can disrupt your life.  One profession that has been significantly prominent for low back pain sufferers are Chiropractors.  Doctors of Chiropractic are highly skilled in relieving back discomfort.  They detect the cause of pain and stop it at its source without the use of medications.

The first thing a chiropractor will do when someone comes in with symptoms of back is take a medical history, performs a physical examination, and use diagnostic imaging to determine is treatment is appropriate for your back pain. If the pain is due to a fall, accident or injury of some other fashion the chiropractor will be made aware of this during the thorough examination and proceed with care accordingly.

Chiropractors detect and correct the areas of spinal dysfunction and restore relief and mobility, by using specific manipulations of the spine called adjustments.  Vertebral subluxations are dysfunctional areas in the spine where movement is restricted or bones are out of alignment.  This condition may lead to back pain, immobility and at time osteoarthritis.  Chiropractors work to remove the vertebral subluxations.  Specifically, doctors of chiropractic use gentle, yet safe maneuvers called adjustments to restore movement and alignment to the spine.

Muscles are also affected with misalignments of the spine.  Muscles attach to the vertebrae of the back.  Chiropractic adjustments work to restore alignment to the spine which in turn will prevent the muscle spasms and ache when the bones are misaligned. Along with adjustments chiropractors will frequently recommend exercises, nutritional modifications, ergonomic alterations and stress reduction techniques.

A common question that is asked by chiropractic patients is, ‘how long will it take for me to get out of pain?’  After your initial chiropractic exam, your doctor of chiropractic will answer this question with an honest estimate based on research and prior clinical experience. Unfortunately a magic number does not exist, but rest assured that chiropractic is the fastest and most effective strategy for ending low-back pain.  Chiropractic focuses not only on ending your pain, but also on helping you achieve optimal health.  Consequently, your chiropractor will emphasize the importance of healthy lifestyle choices and provide you with empowering recommendations for taking control of your well being.  In addition, your chiropractor may suggest that you consider regular preventive care checkups after you recover.  These checkups are designed to keep your spine in alignment and help ensure that you remain pain-free for life.

Fibromyalgia is defined as pain affecting the tendons, muscles, and ligaments. A person with fibromyalgia experiences pain throughout their body due to the soft tissue elements. The pain can feel like burning or twitching and is very painful. Fibromyalgia has nothing to do with the nervous system or arthritis like many believe. The pain suffered by a fibromyalgia patient is described as a knot in the muscle. Depending on the severity it’s possible motion will be restricted.

The one thing that makes it difficult to handle fibromyalgia is the pattern it follows. There is really no rhyme or reason to the pattern and it can happen at any time which makes it impossible to determine when and where an attack will happen.

There are a number of symptoms that are related to fibromyalgia and they include:

• Jaw pain is one that’s painful as it hurts both the face and head. The ligaments and muscles that surround the temporomandibular joint is affected.
• Concentration is difficult and is sometimes called “fibro-fog”. This makes it difficult to stay focused and ultimately work.
• Sleep is difficult due to the pain so it’s not uncommon for a fibromyalgia sufferer to continually feel tired.
• Exercise is nearly impossible because it generally increases the pain. It has been found that a small amount of mild exercise is not too bad.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome is another symptom. A number of suffers experience bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain.
• Chronic headaches such as migraines are often experienced. Most people with chronic headaches will have two or three a week.

There are many other symptoms such as swollen legs and arms, dry mouth, acid reflux, dizziness, sweating, balance issues, or shortness of breath to name a few. Sensitivity to odors, lights, sounds, and medication are also common in fibromyalgia suffers.

Related Articles:

How Chiropractic Can Help With Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia and Chiropractic

The American Heart Association defines obesity and being overweight as “too much body fat and warns that if you have too much fat — especially in your waist area — you’re at higher risk for health problems, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.”

They further conclude that obesity by itself can increase risk of heart disease which can lead to heart attack. They have also found that obesity also harms more than just the heart and blood vessel system. It’s a major cause of gallstones and can worsen degenerative joint disease.[a]

It is thought that excess weight is the culprit behind many health problems. For years doctors have said that obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, circulatory problems and now have found that being overweight can increased potential to develop sleep apnea.  We now know that extra weight can indeed create problems with your spine as well as your whole skeletal structure. In fact carrying excess weight can even impede any healing process that would occur during chiropractic care.

You might notice that a person who carries too much weight in the abdominal area has a pronounced arch in their lower back; this is caused by trying to counter balance the excess weight in front. That is why a lot of pregnant women will experience low back pain, in the last trimester.  Usually their low back discomfort dissipates after delivery.

Excess weight in the stomach area causes the pelvis to tilt forward causing the exaggerated arching of the lower back a condition known as lordosis.  Lordosis is most commonly known as sway back.  If steps are not taken to decrease the weight or a person’s weight continues to increase, a continuous strain will eventually cause deterioration of the outer fibers discs.  The disc which acts as a cushion between each vertebra in the spinal column, are made up of soft material and are housed by these outer fibers, the wear and tear on the outer fibers of the disc could cause a rupture of the disc altogether, permitting the soft material inside the disk to extrude and push against the nerve root.  This is most commonly referred to as a herniated disk and these typically occur between the back and side of the vertebra. This is when the term “sciatica” is used because many times the herniations or bulging disc is putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and begins from nerve roots in the lumbar spinal cord in the low back and extends through the buttock area to send nerve endings down into the leg.

You can see how your weight does have a lot to do with low back pain as well as other areas of your body. It can also cause problems with your knees, feet and other joints.  Unfortunately a cycle begins when a person gains weight.  They become more sedentary, which adds to more weight gain and decrease the muscle mass, which could increase of risk of injury.  If a person begins to experience pain, this too will lead to being less active and so the cycle begins.

Breaking the cycle of “pain and gain”

If pain keeps you from being active and in fact the lack of activity leads to weight gain a patient might believe they are defeated before they even begin to make lifestyle changes. There is a conscience decision that has to be made by a person who struggles with being overweight. No one can make you exercise or change the way you eat.  And often times we become impatient because we don’t see the physical changes quick enough to satisfy our desired goal.  Not only do we tend to super size our food portions but we also super size our goals.  If you know that your health would improve drastically from losing 50 or more pounds, then instead of setting a large goal, set several mini goals to achieve the final goal.  And know that just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, your weight gain didn’t happen overnight and it would decrease after one day of exercise.  Exercise needs to fit the person, not everyone is capable of a 60 to 90 minute workout everyday and again that would be biting off more than you can do.  Back to the mini goals and after discussing your goals with a doctor begin a routine of taking a walk every day.  Make it enjoyable for you, walk your dog, listen to music or just get out and look at nature.  Start slow and work up to longer times and distances.  Soon you will look forward to your time out in the fresh air and you will notice your beginning to firm up and feel better.

The Chiropractic role in weight loss

Your chiropractor can help you with your weight loss goals by counseling you about nutrition, the importance of adequate sleep, and how to incorporate exercise into your daily life.  Essentially chiropractors can “activate” their patients through chiropractic treatment.[b] Furthermore, once you have been relieved of the pain take advantage of that relief.  Even if the relief is only temporary and between chiropractic visits, use that time to begin increasing your activity.  Always ask your chiropractor first before beginning any exercise as they will most likely have a plan of activities for you to follow until you are more mobile and able to take on a high level of exercise.  Most of all remember that you, the patient, have a responsibility to yourself and to your chiropractor.  Your pain relief will only be temporary if you don’t become aggressive about your health and make the changes necessary to see improvement. As you increase your activity and change your eating habits to more healthy choices, you will see weight loss occur and you will notice that your chiropractic adjustments will hold longer because your muscles are getting stronger.

Nobody wants to hear that they are overweight, most people already know they are, but it’s a choice, live with pain everyday or make some lifestyle changes; changes that could ultimately save your life and at the least improve your quality of life.  From a chiropractor’s perspective, they don’t enjoy telling a patient that they need to lose weight, but then again chiropractic is about the health of the whole body and its ability to heal itself if given the right opportunities and the right health environment.

[a] http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4639[b] Battling Obesity by William Morgan DC http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=3206

Related Articles:

Chiropractic Helps with Back Pain

How a Fort Worth Chiropractor Can Help Alleviate Your Back Pain

Chances are at sometime you’ve felt a sharp pain in your lower back and thought that you might be suffering from sciatica. It’s a pretty common idea, considering thousands of people suffer this painful condition every year. However, it is important to know exactly what sciatica is, and how to recognize the symptoms associated with it. That way, you can get the professional help needed to alleviate the problem.

First, it is important to note that Sciatica is actually a symptom, and not a disorder. The pain that sciatica produces radiates through your lower extremities and can be an indication of a potentially serious problem such as a herniated disk. Fortunately, once the underlying problem is resolved, the acute pain of the sciatica will usually go away on its own within a few months.

Sciatica is characterized by a sharp, radiating pain that starts around the lower spine or lumbar region, through the buttocks, and down the back of the leg, following the path of the sciatic nerve. However, the pain can also be a dull ache or a burning sensation as well. For some people it actually feels like a mild electric shock. The discomfort can occur anywhere down the pathway, but for most people the most discomfort is felt in the buttocks and upper thigh area. Also, it is common for only one of the legs to be adversely affected.

In general, the symptoms associated with sciatica include the following:
• Numbness or muscle weakness along your leg or into your foot.
• Pain, usually occurring along the nerve pathway
• A tingling sensation, commonly known as “pins and needles”
• A slight loss of bladder or bowel control.

As you can see, depending on the severity of the sciatica, it can be a very trying situation to deal with. However, in most cases the problem of sciatica will resolve once the underlying problem is addressed, or on its own. However, there are a few warning signs that you should heed when deciding whether to see a medical professional.

For example, if you discomfort isn’t eased by normal methods such as massage, or over the counter painkillers, the problem might be a bit more serious than first suspected. If your pain last longer than a week, or becomes progressively worse, consulting a professional such as a Chiropractor, is an important step to take. Also if the type of pain, the severity of it changes suddenly, or if the pain immediately follows a violent injury, such as a traffic accident, it is critical that you seek out medical help as soon as possible. All these warning signs can be indications of a worsening underlying problem.

Sciatica is something that many people cope with on a regular basis. Knowing what exactly it is, and the common symptoms associated with it is a great way to become a better champion of your own health and well-being.

A disorder of the nerves is known as neuropathy and it also affects the peripheral muscles. Information is carried back and forth between these nerves, but a disorder can cause a problem with the information sent between the nerves. The pain produced and depending on the disorder has the ability to cause loss of muscle control and control in general.

Peripheral is basically defined as the nerves that go out from the center of the body and they are distant from the spinal cord and brain. When you break it down neuro refers to the nerves and pathy is abnormal. Peripheral neuropathy has many symptoms and they vary depending on the nerve that’s involved.

There are basically three types of nerves and each one has its own symptoms. The first type is autonomic and that is what carries information to the glands and organs. The second type is the sensory and that’s what carries sensations. The final type is motor and that’s what controls the muscles.

Peripheral neuropathy affects many different parts of the body including the face, limbs, and torso. Some of the symptoms associated with peripheral neuropathy include:
• Lower blood pressure
• Numbness
• Inability to move that part of the body
• Tingling
• Pain
• Burning

There are many others as well, but it depends on the person and the location as to what the symptoms may be. There are also a number of causes that can lead to peripheral neuropathy. These causes include:
• Alcoholism
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Liver failure
• Kidney failure
• Infection

While chiropractic care may not help with neuropathy with those causes if the cause is from nerve impingement or compression it is possible. A complete neurological exam will be conducted so the cause and the areas affected can be determined.

Adjustments are used to move the bones to the correct place so the muscles are allowed to work properly. When this happens pain and spasms are minimized and relief is felt; depending on the cause a life style change may be needed to prevent it from reoccurring.

The life style change may need to include physical therapy to the muscles to accomplish control and strength in the muscles affected. Most of the time the life style change can be done with a simple change in the diet and including exercise routines along with regular chiropractic care.

Chiropractic can help with sciatica but first let’s discuss what sciatica is.  Sciatica is the pain that radiates down the buttock and back of the leg.  In some cases, this pain may also involve the soles of the feet.  Sciatic pain is usually sharp or burning in nature and is frequently accompanied by low-back discomfort.  However, low back discomfort is not always present, it may also occur in individuals with no history of backaches.  An important note to understand is that sciatica is a symptom of a problem, of something actually compressing the nerve roots that make up the sciatic nerve.  This type of pain or discomfort is often seen in individuals ages 30 to 50 and it often does not occur from an event or injury but most commonly develops as general wear and tear of the lower spine.

To understand sciatic pain we must first discuss the sciatic nerve and its components. The sciatic nerve is a confluence of nervous tissue that emerges from the spinal cord in the lower back region; once the nerve splits off from the spinal cord, the nervous tissue exits between the spinal bones known as vertebrae, which then converge to form the sciatic nerve.  About halfway down the thigh, the sciatic nerve splits into the tibial nerve and the common peroneal nerve.  The tibial nerve continues down the calf and into the sole of the foot, while the common peroneal nerve innervates the front of the leg.

Sciatic pain is most commonly triggered by compression of the sciatic nerve.  The compression will usually occur at the region near the spine where the nerve is formed.  More specifically the bones, the vertebrae or the pelvic bones become restricted or out of alignment (subluxated) affecting the nervous tissue.  Scientific studies reveal that vertebral subluxations are associated with an increased risk of low-back pain and sciatica.  In addition to vertebral subluxations, the sciatic nerve may be compressed by a ruptured spinal disc or by bony spurs caused by osteoarthritis.  Swollen or tight muscles in the buttocks may also restrict the nerve.  In some rare cases, the sciatic nerve may be compressed by a tumor or inflamed by a disease process.

Chiropractors take a unique approach to ending sciatic pain.  The first thing we do is discover the cause of your pain, rather than merely covering your symptoms.  Next, we work to correct the source of the complaint.  Ending sciatic pain usually involves restoring motion and alignment to subluxated regions in the spine or pelvis.  Chiropractors will use gentle and safe maneuvers called chiropractic adjustments in order to correct the misalignment.  Instead of suffering with unrelenting leg pain which is associated with sciatic pain; seek the care that will determine the cause and address it.  Sciatic pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is affecting your overall state of wellness.  Do not ignore the signals your body is sending and seek Chiropractic care to alleviate your symptoms the natural and effective way.

You simply didn’t see it coming.  Everything was going smoothly; all the traffic lights were staying green, almost by your bidding.  However, someone coming from your left was in too much of a hurry, and collided into the side of your car.  As soon as you felt the impact, felt your head and neck snap suddenly to the side, you knew that pain was in your future.

Thankfully, no one else was seriously injured, and the doctor at the emergency room gave everyone a relatively good bill of health.  He does caution you that you might feel the symptoms of whiplash over the next few days, and that a visit to the chiropractor might be warranted.  Sure enough, over the next few days, you start feeling a few of the classic symptoms of whiplash:

• Headaches
• Neck Pain
• Pain and tingling in the upper shoulders
• Fatigue
• Irritability

So, without further ado, you call and make an appointment with a recommended chiropractor in your area.  But you wonder how can a chiropractor help you?

In truth, there are a number of ways that a chiropractor can be of service in cases involving whiplash.  In essence, the symptoms collectively known as whiplash are caused by damage to the neck area of the spinal column, including damage to the discs, the tendons and ligaments, and even the nerves in the area.  These items are collectively known as soft tissues, an area of expertise for most chiropractors.

Whiplash itself is diagnosed using such things as a CT scan or an MRI, along with a discussion of the various symptoms.  Once the correct diagnosis is made, there are a number of things that a chiropractor can do to help alleviate some of the common symptoms of whiplash.

For example, a qualified chiropractor will often use spinal manipulation or also called an adjustment.  This process involves the chiropractor moving the involved joint, in this case the neck, to improve the movement and flexibility into the area that was restricted by the whiplash.  It can sometimes consist of short, measured movements, and should not be attempted at home, unless provided with specific direction and instruction.  In fact, spinal manipulation, especially in the neck area is best performed by a professional chiropractor.  They have years of study and training to draw from.

Another potential treatment option for whiplash is the use of muscle massage and relaxation techniques.  These consist of gentle stretching, and other massage techniques.  They are often used to relieve the muscle tension often associated with whiplash.

In addition to spinal manipulation and muscle relaxation techniques, many chiropractors use a number of specific exercises to help alleviate the symptoms of whiplash.   One of the most common categories is called McKenzie Exercises, or stabilization and sensorimotor exercises.  These exercises are designed to reduce disc derangement related to a whiplash injury.  They consist of simple movements that are done first in the chiropractor’s office, but can be easily done at home with proper instruction.

These are just a few of the ways that a chiropractor can help you gain relief from your whiplash injuries after a serious car accident.