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The sciatic nerve is created by the gathering of nerves that extend from the spinal cord down through the pelvic bones. The sciatic nerve branches out and controls the organs in the pelvis and everything else from the hips to the toes. The sciatic nerve helps you run for the bus and wiggle your toes in the sand.

Sciatica is the inflammation of the sciatic nerve, the largest and longest nerve in the body. Burning pain in the low back, hips and legs are common symptoms of sciatica. Low back pain is not always part of sciatica, but often comes with it. Usually, sciatica affects only one side. Pain often radiates down the buttock or leg and can range from a tingling, burning, pins-and-needles feeling to excruciating, shooting pain that makes standing up nearly impossible. Often, coughing, sneezing, and sitting make the pain worse.

Sciatica can frequently be caused by the misalignment of the joints of the spinal bones in the low back or pelvis, called vertebral subluxation. These misaligned spinal bones create pressure choking on the nerves. This, obviously, interferes with that sciatic nerve’s function. If the joint misalignment is left uncorrected, degeneration can begin to occur.

In the past, long period of bed rest were commonly prescribed for sciatic pain and malfunction. Recent studies have confirmed that lengthy bed rest is a waste of time and may interfere with healing.

What does seem to be the correct prescription is conservative chiropractic adjustments to realign the misaligned vertebrae. According to the recently released United States Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) guidelines, "relief of discomfort can be accomplished most safely" with chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic care normalizes the joint mobility, returns the bones to their proper position, and takes the pressure off the sciatic nerve. Pain and inflammation leave the area. Function is restored. Health is restored.

Sciatica is a horrible experience. Regardless of what you may have been told in the past, you may get rid of it. You may not to "live with it" as you’ve heard. Correction of the cause of sciatica may be as close as a call to my office. I’d be happy to do my part in the restoration of your health and the elimination of the vertebral subluxations that have been interfering with it.

"Write on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without even seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." Socrates

An article in USA Today revealed what actor, Mel Gibson, does to keep fit for active roles like the role he played in "The Patriot." This move called for a lot of physically demanding activity including running and horseback riding. Gibson’s answer to the demands on his body was to have a chiropractor on the set. By the end of the movie, Gibson reports, half the people on the set were using Gibson’s chiropractor for their own needs.

On the sports scene, professional baseball’s Home Run King, Mark McGuire, has been a chiropractic patient since his days with Oakland.

Of course, supreme golfer, Tiger Woods, has been a chiropractic patient a good portion of his life. He was even one of the celebrity guests riding on the chiropractic float in the 1995 Rose Bowl Parade. The float honored 100 years of chiropractic and won a special award.

Disclaimer: All material provided in the Dr. Maloof Online newsletter is provided for educational purposes only. Consult your own physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition.