The sciatic nerve begins at the spinal cord and travels through the low back and sacrum (tailbone), down the back of the legs all the way to the feet. Symptoms from sciatic pain differ from patient to patient. Even though pain may be felt in the calf or foot, sciatic pain begins where the spine is out of alignment (vertebral subluxation) in the low back. The misaligned vertebra may directly interfere with the sciatic nerve, or lead to other issues such as muscle spasms and herniated discs, which lead to irritation and inflammation of the sciatic nerve.

Many patients first experience the sciatic pain by bending over to pick up something small off the ground. They say extreme pain pops up out of nowhere but really the pain is a result of a worsening issue that’s been there for years. A thorough exam can find the vertebral subluxation that’s causing your sciatica.

Bed rest won’t relieve sciatica because the misalignment in the spine (subluxation) is still there causing nerve interference. In order for true healing to begin the subluxation needs to be located and corrected. When taking pain medications it is only masking pain signals and once the drugs wear off the pain returns. Through chiropractic care the spinal dysfunction and source of the sciatic pain can be corrected.