Question
I'm a 32 yr old female who has been having what my chiropractor says is  sciatica. The symptoms I started with 4 days ago were shooting pain  down my right buttock and leg occasionally when I stepped on that foot.  (This was a day after an adjustment that sent me home feeling a little  bit more uncomfortable than when I went in).  My chiropractor adjusted  me again, I felt a little better until I got home-the pain returned,  but it felt different. Now the pain down my leg was gone, the pain in  my buttock was gradually disappearing but now my right calf was getting  symptoms of fullness, heaviness, thickness, (maybe numbness, too. hard  for me to say)-almost feeling like the calf was bulging so much that it  was about to burst. Despite another adjustment and ultrasound therapy  and electro therapy, I am still in tremendous pain and very concerned.  My calf started turning purple this morning. My chiro wants me to get  an MRI to rule out a bulging disk. My spine feels fine, the area where  my sciatic nerve comes out of the spine and traveling thru the buttock  area doesn't hurt, even when I'm massaging it. Is this sciatica, a case  of a poor adjustment or something unrelated? I've never in my life had  pain like this in my calf. What do I do? Thanks.
Mary

Answer
Hi, Mary,


Sciatica梡ain along the large sciatic nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg梚s a relatively common form of low back pain and leg pain.

Sciatica is usually caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve from a herniated disc (also referred to as a ruptured disc, pinched nerve, slipped disk, etc.). The problem is often diagnosed as a "radiculopathy", meaning that a disc has protruded from its normal position in the vertebral column and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root), which connects with the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica is a general term for sciatic nerve irriation.  I think your chiropractor is referring your symptom as sciatica.  But, there are several different underlying causes for sciatica.  It appears that your current symptoms is acute radiculitis or radiculopathy caused from lumbar disc lesion.  I believe your chiropractor's recommendation is helpful to further evaluate your symptomatology.

The favorable chiropractic adjustment technique for lumbar disc bulging or sciatica is mechanical lumbar distraction (can be done by manually) or Cox flexion/distraction technique.   A passive stretching of lumbar spine and legs would be hopeful for relieving the symptom.  Gym ball exercise is also good for your current symptom.

My advice to you is following:

1.  Get MRI scan to have accurate diagnosis  
2.  Contiue your chiro. care/stretching exercise
3.  Join a local gym and continue your exercise
4.  Use proper biomechanics (eg. work station, etc)
5.  Have a steroidal injection if pain is intolerable

Simon Lee, DC