Resolving Sciatica
Sciatica is a common form of back pain. The classical definition of Sciatica refers to pain along the large sciatic nerve – which runs from the lower back and along the back of each leg.
The pain can vary in location; it may go down the buttocks, through the thigh, down the back of the leg, or right down to the foot and heel.
RED FLAGS: It is important to watch out for the following red flags…since all of these require immediate emergency medical care.
- Severe muscular wasting and atrophy.
- Recent onset of bowel or bladder incontinence.
- Saddle anaesthesia where there is a loss of sensation in the area of the buttocks and perineum (the area between the anus and scrotum in males, and between the anus and vulva in females). This can be a symptom of Cauda Equina Syndrome – a neurosurgical emergency – caused by compression of the nerve roots below the level of the spinal cord, and sometimes as a result of a prolapsed disc.
- Severe sciatica after a fall or other trauma, indicating a possible spinal fracture.
Causes of Sciatica
Sciatica can be caused by disc herniation, compression of the lumbar nerve roots, spinal stenosis, and/or entrapment of the sciatic nerve anywhere along its path from the lumbar spine down through the leg. See the following for more details about the different causes of sciatica:
- Sciatica Caused by Disc Herniation.
- Sciatica Caused by Foramina Compression.
- Sciatica and Spinal Stenosis.
- Sciatica and Soft-Tissue Compression Syndromes.
Click on each of the following tabs, whose content is obtained from the book – Release Your Pain – for more information about these causes of sciatica.
Sciatica and Soft-Tissue Compression Syndromes
Sciatica is frequently caused by soft-tissue compression of the sciatic nerve somewhere along its length (peripheral nerve entrapment) such as in Piriformis Syndrome.
The piriformis muscle is an external rotator of the hip and leg, and helps to turn the foot and leg outward. This muscle often becomes tight and restricted when it is overworked, resulting in compression of the sciatic nerve.
The most common sciatic nerve entrapment sites include adhesion of the sciatic nerve:
- At the long head of the biceps femoris.
- Between the adductor magnus and hamstring muscles.
- Between the sacral ligaments.
- Between the structures of the external hip rotators.
- At the superior gemellus muscle where the sciatic nerve passes over the muscle.
- At the piriformis muscle where the sciatic nerve passes under or through the muscle.
Copyright: Dr. Brian Abelson and Kamali Abelson. From the book – Release Your Pain
Resolving Sciatica with ART
The key to resolving Sciatica lies in releasing the soft-tissue restrictions at all possible nerve entrapment sites, along the entire length of the sciatic nerve.
Complete resolution of Sciatica cannot be achieved if the nerve remains trapped at any point along its length.
This is where Active Release Techniques – Long Nerve Tract procedures excel since they can be used to find each of these entrapment sites, and then, to release the nerve from those sites.
More Information about Sciatica
Dr. Abelson provides a broad range of information to his patients and the public. They range from published books (eBook and hard-copy), to blogs, YouTube Videos, websites, and articles. Click on the following tabs to access some of his more popular information resources.