Sciatica is a common problem that Dr. Huichul Kim treats out of Rockville Family Chiropractic Clinic. Dr. Kim, a chiropractor serving Rockville, Maryland and the surrounding area, treats his patients with respect and compassion.
Sciatica isn't a condition as much as it's a symptom. Sciatica is pain that stems from the sciatic nerve and may branch out throughout the lower back, hips, and buttocks. The nerve has the ability to cause pain and numbness in a person's legs as well. In most cases, sciatica only affects one side of the body.The patient may experience inflammation in some cases.
In a majority of cases, sciatica stems from a herniated disc, narrowing of the spine, or a bone spur on a portion of the spine. Pregnancy may cause sciatica as well.
Those who are pregnant are most at risk both because of the pressure the unborn baby places on the nerve and from hormonal changes. Obesity puts additional stress on the spine, which can trigger sciatica. Age plays a role since people are at a greater risk for developing a herniated disk or bone spur as they age. Anyone who has a job where they twist their back, drive for a prolonged period of time, or carry heavy loads are at a greater risk. People who have jobs where they sit most of the day or who live sedentary lifestyles are, in general, at more of a risk. Diabetes causes nerve damage; therefore, when the sciatic nerve becomes damaged as a result, it causes sciatica.
In order to relieve pain, inflammation, or numbness from sciatica, Dr. Kim will perform treatments to relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve. For instance, the chiropractor may use spinal manipulation, decompression therapy, or posture rehabilitation to give the patient relief. The manipulation realigns the spine, which takes the pressure off of the nerve. Decompression therapy stretches the person's spine, which has the potential to do the same. When the person undergoes posture rehabilitation, it causes him or her to have better posture. In return, the person no longer slouches, which reduces pressure on the nerve.
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