Chiropractor for Sciatica in Perth

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is pain, tingling or numbness that travels along the sciatic nerve, from the lower back or buttock down the leg.

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It starts at the base of your spine and travels all the way down into your toes. When it's irritated, the pain can follow it the whole way. People describe:

• Electric, shooting or burning pain from the buttock down the back of the leg
• Pain down the outside of the calf and under the foot into the toes
• Numbness, pins and needles, or a dead-leg feeling
• A heavy or weak leg, or a foot that doesn't feel quite right
• Pain that's worse when sitting, coughing, sneezing or bending
• Lower back pain, although often the leg hurts more than the back

Why it happens

Sciatica rarely comes out of nowhere. Usually, the signs have been there for years.

It often starts with what I call a history moment. A fall off a motorbike or a sporting injury 20 years ago. The trailer that was just a bit too heavy. The time you lifted, twisted and sneezed all at once.

After that, the back pain comes back now and then. Each year it comes a little more often and lasts a little longer, as the weakness slowly builds. Until one day, simply picking up an envelope or getting out of bed sets it off, and this time it goes down the leg.

Underneath, something is pressing on or irritating the nerve where it leaves the spine. Common causes include:

• A bulging, herniated or prolapsed disc
• Arthritis and bony changes narrowing the hole where the nerve leaves the spine
• Tight muscles deep in the buttock
• Long hours sitting, especially with poor support
• Lifting and twisting, particularly after a long week at a desk

The different names sciatica goes by

Sciatica is a description of where the pain goes, not a diagnosis. These are the common causes behind it, in plain words:

• Disc bulge, herniation or prolapse: the cushion between two vertebrae bulges or tears and presses on a nerve root. Often worse sitting and bending.
• Pinched nerve: the everyday term for a nerve root being squeezed or irritated in the lower back.
• Spinal stenosis and lateral recess narrowing: arthritis or bony spurs filling the space the nerve passes through, more common as we age. Often worse walking and better sitting or bending forward.
• Piriformis syndrome: a tight muscle deep in the buttock irritating the sciatic nerve.
• Sacroiliac joint pain: pain from the joint where the spine meets the pelvis, which can refer into the buttock and leg.
• Spondylolisthesis: one vertebra slipping forward on the one below, which can narrow the space for the nerves.

The real cost: you

Sciatica takes over your day. Every chair is a negotiation. You sit on a funny angle, shifting your weight to keep the pressure off.

The drive becomes a worry. Will you make it there? Your accelerator foot is in constant pain. Long trips, holidays and weekends away get cancelled. So does dinner with friends, because you can't sit through it.

And it wears you down. No sleep, constant pain, and the fear of the next sneeze. You're not you.

A note from Geoff

Sciatica is serious, and I treat it that way. I see a lot of people with sciatica, and the ones who do well are the ones where we take the time to find out exactly what's going on.

Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Is it a disc? Arthritis narrowing the space for the nerve? Something else? Each needs a different approach. That's why sciatica warrants a careful investigation, X-rays where clinically required, and a serious plan built for you.

Then, if it's suitable, we adjust you gently in a way that suits an irritated nerve, and give you specific exercises to support your recovery. That's the Vitality Method.

Try this right now

Sit on a firm chair and slowly straighten one knee, lifting your foot until your leg is out straight. Then the other. Does one side bring on pain or tingling down the back of your leg?

If it does, that tells us the nerve is involved, and it's exactly where I'd want to start.

How we assess sciatica

Getting the assessment right is the most important step. We take a detailed history, then examine your lower back, hips and pelvis, and test the nerves into your legs: strength, reflexes, sensation and nerve tension tests.

We also screen carefully for warning signs that need urgent medical care. If you already have an MRI or X-ray, bring it. If imaging is clinically justified and you don't have any, we'll explain why before referring you.

What your plan will include

Here's exactly what happens when you come to Vitality with sciatica:

• A detailed consultation and clinical assessment
• Digital X-rays if clinically required, bulk billed with a valid Medicare card
• Specific adjustments to assess whether change is possible for you
• If change is possible, and it's what you want, a care plan built around you and your lifestyle
• Gentle nerve mobility and core exercises you can do at home
• Referral to your GP or a specialist if your symptoms need it
• Daily tips for sitting, lifting, sleeping and staying active

My promise to you

Many cases of sciatica settle over weeks to months, but every case is different, so I won't promise a timeframe.

What I do promise is a thorough investigation, an honest explanation of whether we can help, and quick referral if things aren't improving or new symptoms appear.