Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

“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 and down the side of my calf. What could this be?”

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Answer sponsored by:

Dr. D. Jean Gibson M.S., D.C.

Answer:

You are describing a symptom called “sciatica”. 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. I have had great success treating all of the above conditions using Chiropract­ic adjustment­s (hands on or instrument adjusting), acupunctur­e, and 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 or go to TheGibsonC­enter.com for more informatio­n.

Dr. Gibson is a 9 Time Winner “Favorite Chiropract­or” by the NWA Reader’s Choice Awards.

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