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Anatomy of the Sciatic Nerve

Someone you know may have complained about a condition known as sciatica, but what is it? To understand the condition, it’s helpful to know a bit about the anatomy of the sciatic nerve.

Sciatic Nerve

The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body. It begins at the base of the spinal cord and extends down the length of each leg to the toes on each foot. The sciatic nerve is really made up of five separate nerves that come together to form one large nerve that is as big around at one point as your thumb!

The sciatic nerves provide sensation and strength to the leg and connect the spinal cord with muscles in the thigh, lower leg, and feet. Muscle weakness or a tingling sensation in the legs can result when the sciatic nerve is compromised or compressed in some way.

An inflammation of the sciatic nerve or compression on the nerve can cause profound pain. This is the condition known as sciatica; symptoms of sciatica include a dull ache to moderate or even severe pain, shooting pains, numbness, or a tingling feeling in the legs. Individual symptoms and their severity can usually be traced back to where one of the five nerves originates in the lower back.

While treatment in the past may have included muscle relaxants, pain medicine and even surgery that had only a 60% success rate, chiropractic care has been shown to be quite effective in relieving the nerve interference and irritation that is causing the pain in the first place.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, and feel that sciatica may be the problem, please call our office to schedule an appointment. A thorough examination will determine whether or not you have sciatica and we can discuss what can be done to help.

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Dr.Bob Asks some important questions of interest to Danville residents - Chiropractor Danville Dr.Bob Asks...

Can vertebral subluxations clear up on their own?
Sometimes. Today's hectic lifestyles can be a constant source of vertebral subluxations. Fortunately, our bodies have the ability to self-correct many of these minor problems as we bend and stretch, or when we sleep at night. When vertebral subluxations don't resolve, you need to see our Danville office for chiropractic care!
Is a muscle spasm a cause or an effect?
With the knee-jerk use of muscle relaxers, you'd think it was a cause. But it's an effect. Chiropractors know that bones don't move unless muscles move them. And muscles don't contract unless commanded by the nervous system. That's why your nervous system is the focus of our Danville chiropractic practice.