San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:
We have been successfully treating sciatica in downtown San Francisco for 18 years now at Executive Express Chiropractic (formerly Front Street Chiropractic).
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, about the diameter of a quarter at it's largest point. The sciatic nerve is formed from branches of nerve roots from the lumbar spine. They anastomose (come together like small streams forming a river) to form the sciatic nerve which travels through the buttocks and down the back of the leg all the way to the toes.
The lumbar spinal nerve roots that form the sciatic nerve are extremely sensitive to pressure. Often times the lumbar discs that hold the lumbar vertebrae together will bulge or herniate, irritating the sciatic nerve roots which can cause pain all the way down the leg...this is called sciatica.
When a lumbar disc is injured (from a disc bulge or disc herniation)it releases inflammatory proteins which irritate the delicate sciatic nerve causing pain and dysfunction.
There are also other causes of sciatica besides bulging and herniated lumbar discs. Conditions such as piriformis syndrome and sacroiliac joint dysfunction can also cause sciatic leg pain.
Sciatica can be new and acute or it can be chronic. Either way it is not much fun.
And, trying to find the right kind of sciatica treatment can be very time consuming and frustrating. Treatments vary from physical therapy, chiropractic, pain and anti-inflammatory medications to surgery.
My Take: Most of the time chiropractic care will achieve favorable outcomes with sciatica...it just depends on the nature and severity of the underlying condition. If there is a bulging or herniated disc, spinal decompression with the DRX9000 may be indicated. We consider the DRX if chiropractic fails to deliver and the patient qualifies medically.
Nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 elongates the spine, enlarges the disc space, and helps to re-position the injured lumbar disc off the spinal cord and nerve roots (see DRX9000 Special Report for success rates).
The best thing to do if you have sciatica (in my biased opinion) is to find a chiropractor that has a DRX9000. Try chiropractic first. If it does not help and you qualify for the DRX...give it a shot. Sometimes the combination of both works well.
Hey...you can always consider surgery. And, you can also visit a medical doctor and see what they can do. They can probably help with your pain...but it is doubtful that a cortisone shot or pain medications will do what the DRX9000 can do. And what about the long term effects of drugs (and the short term side effects)? The DRX is more of a permanent fix than just a temporary band-aid.
Anyway, that's my two cents. If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for sciatica treatment at our San Francisco Chiropractic and Spinal Decompression Center...call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online.
You can find a doctor with a DRX9000 near you at www.axiomworldwide.com. They have a doctor finder tool.
Excellent information. I found it very helpful as my mother is considering back surgery. I'm reading a book called "Surgery not Included" by Dr. Richard E. Busch III to better understand the options that are available to relieve back pain. Thanks to your article and this book I'm ready to discuss some other options than surgery with her doctor. http://www.surgerynotincluded.com/
Posted by: Betty | October 14, 2009 at 08:30 PM