Sciatica

If your sciatic nerve becomes inflamed, the condition is called sciatica (pronounced si-ad’-i-ka) The pain can be intense! It often follows the path of your nerve – down the back of your leg, ankle, foot, and toes – but it can also radiate to your back! Along with burning, sharp pains, you may also feel nerve sensations such as pins-and-needles, tingling, prickling, crawling sensations, or tenderness Ironically, your leg may also feel numb!

To complicate matters, although sciatica pain is usually in the back of the legs or thighs, some people may feel pain in the front or side of the legs or even in the hips For some, the pain is in both legs: bilateral sciatica!

The quality of pain may vary There may be constant throbbing, but then it may let up for hours or even days; it may ache or be knife-like Sometimes postural changes like lying down or changing positions affect the pain, and sometimes they don’t In severe cases, sciatica can cause a loss of reflexes or even a wasting of the calf muscles

For sciatica sufferers, a good night’s sleep may be a thing of the past Simple things like walking, sitting, or standing up can be difficult or impossible

As a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist, I take a different approach to the treatment and prevention of sciatica After a thorough neurological exam, I determine which part of the nervous system is not functioning properly In many sciatica patients, I find a high mesencephalic output

There are three parts to the brain stem: top, middle and lower The mesencephalon is the top part of the brain stem A high output of the mesencephalon will cause an increased pulse and heart rate, the inability to sleep, or a waking, fitful sleep Other symptoms might include urinary tract infections, increased warmth and sweating, and sensitivity to light Along with a high mesencephalic output, the migraine patient may present with a decreased output of the cerebellum The cerebellum controls balance, coordinated movement, and the involuntary muscles of the spinal column

No matter what the condition, it is imperative that the chiropractic neurologist performs a thorough and comprehensive exam to determine the exact nature of the patient’s condition

Dr Michael L Johnson is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist, one of only 700 in the country, with over twenty years of experience in private practice He has completed over 850 hours of neurological studies and 3800 hours of postgraduate education His book “What Do You Do When the Medications Don’t Work? – A Non-Drug Treatment of Dizziness, Migraine Headaches, Fibromyalgia, and Other Chronic Conditions” outlines his groundbreaking work in the treatment of chronic pain and is a national best-seller It is available wherever books are sold

© 2005 Michael L Johnson, DC, DACNB

Tags | bilateral, cerebellum, fitful, infections, involuntary, muscles, needles, neurologist, patient, postural, reflexes, result, sciatica, thighs, urinary