Sciatica is a condition in which there is intense burning or electrical type pain that shoots down the back of the leg.  In mild cases the pain may only travel to the buttocks region, whereas in more severe cases the pain can shoot all the way down to the feet.  The pain associated with sciatica is due to pressure placed on the sciatic nerve, which irritates the sciatic nerve and causes pain to be felt along the nerve pathway.  There are several conditions that can place pressure on the sciatic nerve and thus cause sciatica:

• Disc bulge or disc herniation
• Muscular Entrapment – typically at the piriformis muscle
• Pelvic Imbalance
• Nerve root entrapment
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis

Chiropractic care has proven to be highly effective in treating the majority of the causes of sciatica.  The type of care administered varies depending on what is causing the sciatic pain.  At our San Jose Chiropractic office we offer numerous techniques and therapies to help you get out of pain, including

• Hot/Ice packs
• Ultrasound
• Cold Laser Therapy
• Electrical Muscle Stimulation
• Sound Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (SASTM)
• Chiropractic Adjustments
• Stretching & Strengthening exercises