Helping You Live Better, Longer
Dr. James G. Blakemore, DC       Dr. Vladimir Kaye, MD
159 N. Raymond Avenue Fullerton CA  92831
Tel: (714) 871-2495   Fax:  (714) 871-3350

  Home  

  Free Examination

Services 

FAQ

  Patient History Form

  About the Doctors

Map

 Email Question

  Free Newsletter

 Take Stress Test

  History of Chiropractic

  Testimonials

    Office Hours

  Neck Pain

  Headache

Lower Back Pain

ShoulderPain

Carpal Tunnel

  Sciatica

  Subluxations

 
  Wellness Directory
  Activator Therapy (Video)

Decompression Therapy

  Disc Compression

Back Pain

  Laser Therapy  (Video)
  EB 305 Detoxifier
  Subluxations
  Neck Pain

Headaches 

  Whiplash

Ear Problems

Leg Pain

Asthma

Auto Accidents

Carpal Tunnel

  Fibromyalgia
  ADHD

Medicare

Nutrition

Senior Fitness

Osteoporosis

Golf and Your Back

Water

Exercise

  Arthritis

Leg Pain and Sciatica

Sciatica is a severe pain in the leg caused by compression, irritation, or inflammation of the sciatic nerves, which are thick nerves extending down the back of each leg.  Each sciatic nerve is consists of five smaller nerves extend from the lower spinal column, and then join together and travel down the legs.  The sciatic nerves divide into tiny smaller nerves travel to the knew, foot, toes, calf, and thigh.  The inflammation of any of these nerves is called sciatica.
Symptoms 

People with sciatica can sometimes experience shooting pains down the leg and into the foot and toes, and other times a dull ache or numbness.  Sciatica is caused by many things.  Sitting at a desk for long periods of time in one position can exacerbate the pain.  Exercise can make the pain worse.  Tennis or golf and other twisting activities can cause sciatica pain to flare up. Sometimes, the pain may be in both legs, and other times it may alternate from one leg to the other.  

Causes Of Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is very long, so there are many places along its length at which the irritation may occur.  One place is the lower back.  Often, a misaligned lumbar vertebra puts pressure on the nerve, causing the pain. This misalignment is called a subluxation.  For further discussion of subluxations, click here.

Disc herniation can also cause sciatica.  Discs are the "shock absorbers" between the vertebrae of the spine.  They are cartilage-like cushions that occupy the spaces between the vertebrae which allow the back to turn and bend normally.  If you've been injured in a car accident, or from a fall, one or more of your discs may now be bulging out one side of the spine.  This is what is called a "slipped disk," or  disc herniation.

Sciatica usually begins as an sharp pain in the lower back.  Eventually, the pain stretches down the back of the leg, and gets worse when you sit or stand in one position for a long period of time.

Treatment For Sciatica

Medical doctors normally treat this condition by loading patient up on pain killers, telling the patient that the condition may go away naturally.  This seldom happens, and the net result is that the patient's liver, kidney, or stomach lining, are damaged by the long-term use of drugs.  The better approach is the chiropractic one. 

The doctor will treat your sciatica by finding the location of nerve irritation, and can relieve the pressure on the nerve, allowing the body to heal itself naturally.

JA February 5, 2005


DISCLAIMER: No individuals, including those under our active care, should use the information, resources or tools contained within to self-diagnose or self-treat any health-related condition. Diagnosis and treatment of all health conditions should only be performed by your doctor of chiropractic or other licensed health care professional.

This web site is the creation of Spectrum Web Design  2524 Bonnie Brook Drive  Stockton CA 95207-1304   (209) 473-8423 or (800)-506-5866