“For the last six months I have had pain and numbness in my buttocks on the right and it runs down the back of my thigh. What could this be?”

Answer:“sciatica”.You are describing a symptom called

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It is a continuation of nerves coming from the lumbar and sacral regions of the spine. It courses down the back of the thigh and then branches off at the knee. Sciatica (symptoms which follow the course of the sciatic nerve) can have different causes. Sciatica may be caused by:

1. a spinal misalignment in the lumbar or sacral region that causes an irritation of the nerve.

2. a bulging or ruptured (herniated) disc.

3. myofascial or muscular trigger points in the lumbar or buttocks region referring symptoms down the back of the buttocks and thigh.

4. piriformis entrapment. The sciatic nerve can actually become entrapped in the piriformis muscle. The piriformis muscle rotates your hip externally. If a muscle spasm develops in the piriformis muscle you may develop symptoms of sciatica.

It is important that you have a thorough examination to determine which condition may be causing your sciatica. We have had good success treating all of the above conditions, using Chiropractic adjustments (hands on or instrument adjusting), acupuncture, or cold laser therapy. I was able to avoid surgery on my herniated disc using chiropractic and acupuncture. And that’s why I became a Chiropractor! Call 479-587-0227 for an appointment. Go to TheGibsonCenter.com for more information. Dr. Gibson offers a variety of services: Chiropractic, acupuncture, cold laser therapy for musculoskeletal pain, trigger point therapy, cold laser therapy for allergies, infrared sauna, colon hydrotherapy, and wellness consulting.