Sciatica Specialist

What causes sciatica?

When you experience compression or pinching of the sciatic nerve, it causes residual pain in your buttocks and down your leg. A tight piriformis, a muscle in the lower part of the spine that helps your hip rotate, can squeeze against your sciatic nerve. The muscle may be irritated from overuse, arthritis, or because there’s a slight difference in the length of your legs.

Issues with your spine may also be the cause of sciatica. If you have misaligned vertebrae in your lower back, a herniated disc in your lumbar region, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, or spondylolisthesis, these can be the cause of your sciatica.

Sciatica usually develops over time, and worsens in severity without treatment.

What are the primary symptoms of sciatica?

Sciatica can vary from mildly annoying to extremely debilitating pain. Usually, you’ll feel the pain in one side of your rear end and down your leg, sometimes into your foot and toes. Usually, the searing or burning pain increases when you sit. The affected leg may feel numb or weak at times. Sometimes the pain may be so severe that you have trouble standing or walking. You may feel the pain constantly, or it may occur intermittently.

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, contact Dr. Zimmerman today, so he can help find the cause of your sciatica and treat your pain.

How can Dr. Zimmerman help?

Since sciatica isn’t a disorder itself, but a symptom of a disorder, it’s important to have it properly diagnosed. He’ll review your medical history, examine your spine, and potentially test certain muscles. Several other diagnostic tests may be warranted, including MRI, CT scan, X-ray or electromyography.

Once Dr. Zimmerman determines the source of the problem, he can help you with a solution. He may use therapies such as ultrasound, a TENS unit, spinal manipulation, and assisted stretches, depending on the underlying reason for your discomfort.

How long until I feel relief?

Many people feel relief after a few weeks or months of a combination of at-home therapy and regular chiropractic sessions. If it’s determined that a herniated disc or pinched nerve is the cause of your sciatica, healing may take longer.