New Title

A sharp, burning, shooting, or aching pain that travels from your lower back into your buttock and down your leg may be more than ordinary back pain. These symptoms are commonly associated with sciatica.

Sciatica can make sitting, standing, walking, working, exercising, and even sleeping uncomfortable. At O'Leary Chiropractic, we provide comprehensive chiropractic evaluations and conservative care for patients experiencing sciatica and other conditions affecting the lower back and legs.

Our goal is to identify the factors contributing to your symptoms and develop an individualized treatment plan focused on reducing pain, improving mobility, and helping you return to your normal daily activities.

If you are experiencing back pain that travels into your leg, schedule an evaluation to determine whether chiropractic care may be appropriate for you.

Sciatica is a term commonly used to describe pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve. Symptoms often begin in the lower back or buttock and may travel down the back or side of one leg.

Depending on the structures and nerves involved, sciatica may also cause:

• Shooting or burning pain into the buttock or leg
• Tingling or “pins and needles”
• Numbness
• Muscle weakness
• Pain that worsens with certain movements
• Difficulty sitting or standing for extended periods
• Pain when bending, lifting, coughing, or sneezing

Sciatica is generally associated with irritation or compression affecting nerve roots in the lower back. The term is often used to describe leg pain related to lumbosacral nerve root pathology.

Treatment for sciatica should be individualized. Depending on your examination findings, the underlying cause of your symptoms, and your overall health, chiropractic care may be part of a conservative treatment approach.

Your treatment plan may include:

Chiropractic Adjustments

When clinically appropriate, chiropractic adjustments may be used to address spinal and joint dysfunction and improve mobility.

Therapeutic Exercise and Rehabilitation

Specific exercises may help improve mobility, strength, stability, and movement patterns that can affect the lower back and surrounding structures.

Soft Tissue Therapy

Muscle tension and soft tissue dysfunction may contribute to discomfort and restricted movement. Treatment may focus on addressing these areas when appropriate.

Stretching and Mobility Exercises

We may recommend specific stretches and mobility exercises based on your individual examination findings.

Patient Education

Understanding which activities, movements, and positions affect your symptoms can play an important role in recovery. We can provide guidance regarding movement, activity modification, posture, ergonomics, and home care strategies.

Conservative management and maintaining activity when appropriate are emphasized in major clinical guidance for many people with low back pain and sciatica. NICE guidance recommends self-management and encouragement to continue normal activities when possible, while treatment decisions should be individualized to the patient's clinical presentation.

Most cases of lower back and leg pain can be evaluated and managed conservatively. However, certain symptoms may require prompt medical evaluation.

Seek urgent medical attention if you experience symptoms such as:

• New or worsening significant leg weakness
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Numbness in the groin or saddle area
• Rapidly progressing neurological symptoms
• Severe symptoms following significant trauma
• Symptoms accompanied by signs suggesting infection, cancer, or another serious condition

Progressive neurological deficits and cauda equina syndrome require urgent medical assessment and are not routine chiropractic conditions.

Pain traveling from your lower back into your leg can interfere with work, exercise, sleep, and the activities you enjoy. At O'Leary Chiropractic, we take the time to evaluate your symptoms and determine whether chiropractic care may be an appropriate part of your treatment plan. Whether your symptoms are recent or have been affecting you for weeks or months, an evaluation can help identify the next appropriate step.

Schedule Your Sciatica Evaluation Today

If you are experiencing lower back pain, buttock pain, numbness, tingling, or pain traveling down your leg, contact O'Leary Chiropractic to schedule an evaluation.

Call (518) 793-1205 or request an appointment online.

Serving patients in Queensbury, Glens Falls, Lake George, Hudson Falls, and the surrounding Adirondack region.