Nerve pain is one of the most challenging ailments to diagnose and treat. The nervous system is so interlinked that a pinched nerve, a stressed nerve, an inflamed nerve, or nerve damage in one area of the body can result in nerve pain in a completely different area. For example, sciatica nerve pain typically results from inflammation of the sciatic nerve, a major nerve strand that begins in the lower back and travels down to the feet.
How to diagnose nerve pain is best approached with the help of a certified chiropractor. Contact Cool Springs Chiropractic today to schedule sciatica treatment, and read the sections below to learn more about this common condition.
What is Sciatica?
Everyone’s heard the term, but few can define it. What is sciatica? “Sciatica” refers to a condition in which one feels pain symptoms along the sciatic nerve path. As mentioned earlier, the sciatic nerve refers to a pair of nerves, both beginning in the lower back, one running down the left leg and the other running down the right.[1]
According to the Cleveland Clinic, people experience sciatica (sciatic pain) when pinching, inflammation, or compression occurs in and along the sciatic nerve. While sciatica is not usually serious or particularly dangerous, it can be painful until treated, and the condition can deteriorate and become more serious the longer one goes without treating it.
Also according to the Cleveland Clinic, sciatica is quite common. About 40% of Americans experience it at some point during their lifetime, with the condition’s risk factors increasing as one ages. Lifestyle can influence one’s risk for sciatica, with those who maintain a mostly sedentary lifestyle being at higher risk of developing sciatica than those who have a more active lifestyle.
What Causes Sciatica?
The sciatic nerve is the longest and one of the thickest in the human body. At its thickest point, the sciatic nerve is about the width of a penny! The nerve branches off of the spine in five different places, and since the human body has two sciatic nerves (one on each side of the spine, running down each leg), there are multiple places along the nerve channel where damage can occur. That makes the “What causes sciatica?” question a more complicated one to answer.
In simple terms, several circumstances can arise that cause sciatica. Remember, five spinal nerves branch off the spine and bundle together to form the sciatic nerve, and the human body has two sciatic nerves, creating many situations that can lead to sciatica. Just to name a few:
- Being overweight or obese is a common cause of sciatica.
- Herniated disks can cause sciatica, as can degenerative disk disease.
- Poor posture and a sedentary lifestyle are common causes of sciatica.
- Back, hip, and leg injuries can lead to temporary or long-term sciatica.
- Due to the strain it puts on the body (and back specifically), pregnancy can cause sciatica.
- Having insufficient core strength (which puts more pressure on the spine) can lead to sciatica.
- Sports injuries, weightlifting injuries, car accidents, and pressures on the sciatic nerve can cause sciatica.
- Jobs that require heavy lifting, bending over, or working in awkward or unusual positions can lead to sciatica.
- Other factors like physical inactivity, tobacco use, and the simple aging process all increase one’s risk for sciatica.
Sciatica Symptoms: Do I Have Sciatica?
Understanding sciatica symptoms is the best answer to the “Do I have sciatica?” question. If symptoms include the following, it would be best to seek chiropractic help to receive the adjustments needed to reduce pain and improve mobility.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, sciatica symptoms include:
- Pain. Sciatica pain results from the sciatic nerve being compounded, bent, inflamed, pinched, or otherwise imposed upon by external forces. Most people liken sciatic pain to a shooting or radiating pain that travels down the leg, often feeling like a burning or electric shock sensation. People with sciatica tend to experience this when coughing, sneezing, bending over, or lifting their legs upward when lying on their back.
- “Pins and needles.” The tingling sensation or “pins and needles” is a sure giveaway for sciatica. It may not be painful, but if one is experiencing a sensation of one of their legs falling asleep and then experiencing “pins and needles” afterward, that could be a sign of sciatica.
- Numbness. Nerves are responsible for the sense of touch, and when nerve threads are impaired, it’s possible for numbness to ensue as a result. When someone can’t feel sensations in their skin or the affected area (like the lower back or one of their legs), it means those regions are not properly sending signals back to the brain, indicating sciatica.
- Muscle weakness. In more serious cases, the sciatic nerve can become so damaged that muscles in the lower back and one or both legs begin to lose their function.
- Urinary or fecal incontinence. In another serious-case scenario, if the sciatic nerve becomes severely harmed, one may experience a reduced ability to control their bladder and/or bowels.
- Temporary or permanent nerve damage. If sciatica is not treated and is allowed to worsen, one may experience a condition called “drop foot,” which is essentially when one loses feeling in one of their feet. This results from serious disruption in the sciatic nerve, where the nerve is no longer sending signals from the feet back up to the brain.
How to Diagnose and Treat Sciatica
A Franklin Chiropractor or a Nashville chiropractor can diagnose and treat sciatica by examining a patient’s walking pattern and utilizing the straight leg raise test and other flexibility and strength tests. Professional chiropractors in Franklin, like Cool Springs Chiropractic, may use spine X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other specialized tests to determine if the patient has sciatica.
How to Get Sciatica Relief
How to get sciatica relief depends on the severity of the case. Most patients use chiropractic care for sciatica. Chiropractors can also provide other services that help address sciatica, like acupuncture for sciatic pain. Such professionals can also recommend various stretches and low-intensity exercises that can serve as a maintenance regimen for reducing and preventing sciatic pain. Many patients prefer chiropractic care for sciatica because it is non-invasive and does not involve medication.[2]
How Do I Relieve Sciatica Pain Quickly?
Quoting Dr. Peter Hinz, an award-winning chiropractor and winner of the community-voted Williamson County Sizzle Award for the Best Chiropractor in Williamson County (9 years in a row):
- “Sciatica pain rarely goes away on its own, and the longer one ignores the condition, the more likely it is to cause serious harm. It’s important for patients struggling with sciatic nerve pain to seek chiropractic care as soon as possible, as ignoring or delaying treatment can lead to permanent nerve damage and issues with the muscles and organs that are influenced by the sciatic nerves.”
Get Relief for Sciatica with Cool Spring Chiropractic
Relief for sciatica is just a phone call away. Schedule an appointment with Cool Springs Chiropractic by calling (615) 503-9900, or book an appointment online for a limited-time $49 New Patient Special. Locate the office at 3252 Aspen Grove Drive, Suite 13 in Franklin, Tennessee, or email info@coolspringschiropractic.com.
Sources:
[1] CC. “Sciatica.” Cleveland Clinic, 2025. my.clevelandclinic.org
[2] Healthline. “Can a Chiropractor Help with Sciatica?” Healthline, 2021. healthline.com
