Sciatica New York

Suffering from Sciatica/Sciatica Pain/Spinal Disc Herniation? Let Midtown Total Health, chiropractors in New York City get you out of Sciatic pain.

Our New York Chiropractors are commited to helping you rid your sciatica pain and getting you back to your normal self, feeling good again.

Welcome to Midtown Total Health in NYC, We are a group of chiropractors and back pain specialists in New york (NYC) who offer non-surgical proceedures such as 'spinal decompression' in the heart of New York City. We are New York Chiropractors that can make a huge difference to you health, for the better!

What is Sciatica/Sciatic Pain?

What Causes Sciatica/Sciatic Pain?

• Spinal Disc Herniation

Diagnosing Sciatica

Treating Sciatica/Sciatic Pain

What is Sciatica or Sciatic Pain?

Sciatica is a set of symptoms including pain that may be caused by general compression and/or irritation of one of five nerve roots that give rise to the sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve itself. The pain is felt in the lower back, buttock, and/or various parts of the leg and foot. In addition to pain, which is sometimes severe, there may be numbness, muscular weakness, pins and needles or tingling and difficulty in moving or controlling the leg. Typically, the symptoms are only felt on one side of the body.
Although sciatica is a relatively common form of low back pain and leg pain, the true meaning of the term is often misunderstood. Sciatica is a set of symptoms rather than a diagnosis for what is irritating the root of the nerve, causing the pain. This point is important, because treatment for sciatica or sciatic symptoms will often be different, depending upon the underlying cause of the symptoms.
The first cited use of the word sciatica was registered in 1450

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What Causes Sciatica/Sciatic Pain?

Sciatica is generally caused by the compression of lumbar nerves L4 or L5 or sacral nerves S1, S2 or S3, or far less commonly, by compression of the sciatic nerve itself. When sciatica is caused by compression of a dorsal nerve root (radix) it is considered a lumbar radiculopathy (or radiculitis when accompanied with an inflammatory response) from a spinal disc herniation (a herniated intervertebral disc in the spine), or from roughening, enlarging, and/or misaligning of the vertebrae (spondylolisthesis), or degenerated discs. Sciatica due to compression of a nerve root is one of the most common forms of radiculopathy.
"Pseudo-sciatica," which causes symptoms similar to spinal nerve root compression, is caused by the compression of peripheral sections of the nerve, usually from soft tissue tension in the piriformis or related muscles (see piriformis syndrome and see below).

Spinal disc herniation
One cause of sciatica is a spinal disc herniation, pressing on one of the sciatic nerve roots. The spinal discs are composed of a tough spongiform ring of cartilage (annulus fibrosus) with a more malleable center (nucleus pulposis). The discs separate the vertebrae, thereby allowing room for the nerve roots to properly exit through the spaces between the L4, L5, and sacral vertebrae. The discs cushion the spine from compressive forces, but are weak to pressure applied during rotational movements. That is why a person who bends to one side, at a bad angle to pick something up, may more likely herniate a spinal disc than a person falling from a ladder and landing on his or her back.
Herniation of a disc occurs when the liquid center of the disc bulges outwards, tearing the external ring of fibers, extrudes into the spinal canal, and compresses a nerve root against the lamina or pedicle of a vertebra, thus causing sciatica. This extruded liquid from the nucleus pulposus may cause inflammation and swelling of surrounding tissue which may cause further compression of the nerve root in the confined space in the spinal canal.
Sciatica caused by pressure from a disc herniation and swelling of surrounding tissue can spontaneously subside if the tear in the disc heals and pulposis extrusion and inflammation cease.
Sciatica can be caused by tumours impinging on the spinal cord or the nerve roots. Severe back pain extending to the hips and feet, loss of bladder or bowel control, or muscle weakness, may result from spinal tumours. Trauma to the spine, such as from a car accident, may also lead to sciatica.

"See How our DRX9000 spinal decompression machine can help getting you out of pain without the need of painful surgery!" - Dr Noam Sadovnik, Midtown Total Health

 

Spinal stenosis
Other compressive spinal causes include spinal stenosis, a condition wherein the spinal canal (the spaces through which the spinal cord runs) narrows and compresses the spinal cord, cauda equina, and/or sciatic nerve roots. This narrowing can be caused by bone spurs, vertebral dislocation, inflammation, or herniated disc which decreases available space for the spinal cord, thus pinching nerves from the spinal cord that travel to the sciatic nerve and irritating them with friction.

Piriformis syndrome
In 15% of the population, the sciatic nerve runs through the piriformis muscle rather than beneath it. When the muscle shortens or spasms due to trauma, it can compress or strangle the sciatic nerve beneath the muscle. This cause of sciatic symptoms is piriformis syndrome. This may be the major cause of sciatica when the nerve root is normal.

Trigger points
Another source of sciatic symptoms is active trigger points of the lower back and the gluteus muscles. In this case, the referred pain is not consequent to compression of the sciatic nerve, though the pain distribution down the buttocks and leg is similar. Trigger points occur when muscles become ischemic (having low blood flow) due to injury or chronic muscular contraction. The most commonly associated muscles with trigger points triggering sciatic symptoms are: the quadratus lumborum, the gluteus medius, the gluteus minimus, and the deep hip rotators.

Pregnancy
Sciatica may also be experienced in pregnancy, primarily resulting from the uterus pressing on the sciatic nerve, and, secondarily, from the muscular tension and/or vertebral compression consequent to carrying the extra weight of the fetus, and the postural changes inherent to pregnancy.

Habits
The risk of self-inflicted sciatica has increased in recent years with, for instance, sitting on a wallet for prolonged hours every day which can cause self-inflicted sciatica. Symptoms of numbness and/or pain behind the knee cap are associated with this form of sciatica. Work-related sciatica may be caused by the use of tool belts which hang around the hips and cause significant misalignment of the sacral vertebrae over long time periods.

 

Diagnosing Sciatica /Sciatic Pain in New York City

Because of the many conditions which can compress nerve roots and cause sciatica, treatment and symptoms often differ from patient to patient. Diagnostic tests can come in the form of a series of exams a physician will perform. Patients will be asked to adopt numerous positions and actions such as squatting, walking on toes, bending forward and backward, rotating the spine, sitting, lying on back, and raising one leg at a time. Increased pain will occur during some of these activities.

 

Treating Sciatica/Sciatic Pain in New York City & Manhattan

Treatment of the underlying cause of the compression is often the most effective course. When the cause is due to a prolapsed or lumbar disc herniation, research has shown that, with supportive treatment to help relieve pain, 90% of disc prolapse will recover with no specific intervention. Genetics appear to influence the risk of developing disc herniation.
Imaging methods such as MR neurography may help diagnosis and treatment of sciatica. MR neurography has been shown to diagnose 95% of severe sciatica patients, while as few as 15% of sciatica sufferers in the general population are diagnosed with disc-related problems. MR neurography is a modified MRI technique using MRI software to provide better pictures of the spinal nerves and the effect of compression on these nerves. MR neurography may help diagnose piriformis syndrome which is another cause of sciatica that does not involve disc herniation.
Most cases of sciatica can be treated by one or more of the following:
• Anti-inflammatory medications (e.g. NSAIDs or oral steroids though NSAIDs are no more effective than a placebo for acute sciatica.
• Non-surgical spinal decompression
• Physical therapy
• Surgery
• Stretching exercises

 

Sciatica Pain Clinic in New York - Midtown Total Health is comitted to accurately diagnosing and treating your back pain, whether it is lower back pain, sciatica, mid back pain or upper back pain.

 

 

 

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Patient Success!

"Three cheers to Dr. Sadovnik, and Midtown Total Health, and thank you again for your personal and professional integrity!!! "
-CI

"After 5 weeks of chiropractic with Dr. Weisberg, I felt less “stressed” than I have felt in 10 years "
-ctor man

 

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