Sciatica- Sciatica is a general term to describe pain that travels down the back of the thigh and possibly the lower leg and foot. There are 3 common causes for Sciatica.

The most common cause is a slower crawling pain from the lower back or hip that stays pretty focused to one side or the other. This pain usually resides in the upper part of your buttocks, but may crawl down the back of the thigh, not below the knee. This pain is usually from an irritated joint in the low back. The nerve may have some degree of pressure from swelling, but is usually not associated to a disc prolapse. Chiropractic is very successful in helping with this condition.

A less common form of sciatica will present with symptoms that travel further down the back of the leg. This is due to compression to the nerves after they exit the spine. When muscles compress the nerve branches, this is called a Peripheral Nerve Entrapment or PNE. Joint and soft tissue mobilization combined with correctional exercises and stretches is very helpful to assist in recovery of this condition. A more significant and very common complaint for Sciatica is when a disc applies pressure to the nerve at the root. A disc is a lot like a tire holding in air, except this is cartilage holding in a gel-like substance. Just like a tire looses air, a rupture to the disc can be very rapid or very slowly. Imagine getting a thorn in the tire and seeing it deflate over 3 days, versus backing over a parking barrier spikes. This pain is likely severe. Because it is so severe, most people will opt for strong medications and progress to cortisone injections. After 5 years in practice, I came across a Wei Patch that has also proved successful in treating many cases of sciatica.