Sciatica is the worst – period.

I’ve been there – that achy butt and leg pain is distracting at best, and downright disruptive at its worst…

If you’ve ever experienced sciatica you know that it zaps your energy, interferes with your work, and stops you from doing the sports and activities you love. Heck, it can even make sitting and standing unbearable…

Here’s the crazy thing: back problems including sciatica will affect 4 in 5 Canadian adults at some point in their life.

So if sciatica is so common, what is it?

Pain In The Butt

One of the hardest things about finding a solution to your sciatica is that the word has a very generic meaning… It simply represents some combination of symptoms that may include any combo of the following: butt pain +/- leg pain +/- back pain +/- numbness and/or burning in the same areas.

Of course,  I don’t blame any of you for using the term – it’s often a convenient way to describe the collection of symptoms you’re experiencing like buttock pain, leg pain, burning, tingling, back pain, etc.

But therein lies the problem…

Sciatica Explained

‘Sciatica’ is a very non-specific term that could include anything from pain, burning, numbness, or tingling in any of the following body regions: back, butt, leg or foot.

That’s a lot of variables.

So let’s say you tell your doctor “I have buttock pain and pain running down the back of my leg.”  If  they say “Ah yes, your problem is you have sciatica…” they are LITERALLY saying “ah yes, your problem is you have butt pain with pain going down your leg, along with any number of other symptoms I can’t possibly predict.”

In other words, it’s what’s known as a garbage diagnosis.

At best, we can say that the symptoms typically labeled as ‘sciatica’ relate to the sciatic nerve in some way…

But mainly, the word ‘sciatica’ says absolutely nothing about the cause of the problem, which means it is entirely useless in discovering a solution.

Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t make your problem any less significant… it just has limited use for those of us trying to identify the core problem.

And presumably what you want to know is WHY you have this raging buttock pain, not a fancy word to describe the pain.

Nerve Damage Is A Big Deal

We’ve seen over 1200 patients suffering from what could be called sciatica.

Some patients enter our office who have nerve disorders that are so severe that it causes them excruciating sharp, stabbing, and shooting pains that can radiate down their legs to the point where they can barely move.

For others, it’s more of a chronic, low-grade issue where the most common complaint is achiness in the butt and leg with difficulty moving, especially squatting, standing up from sitting, bending at the waist, or arching the back.

If either of these scenarios sounds familiar, find help immediately. When nerves are damaged, it’s not just the nerve that is harmed, it’s all of the structures that that nerve supplies.  And when we’re talking about the sciatic nerve, that’s a lot of stuff, including most of your leg muscles, blood vessels, bones, glands, skin, and lymphatic system.

 The Synergy Wellness Group Approach To Sciatica

Here’s our secret: We know sciatica itself is NOT the problem.

Sciatica is ALWAYS a secondary problem… collateral damage as a result of some other core problem that is irritating the nerves that make up the sciatic nerve bundle.

And when it comes down to it, there’s really only a handful of core problems that lead to all forms of sciatica we have encountered.

By far the most common core problem is structural distortion in either the spine, tailbone, pelvis, and/or hips.   Often it’s a pattern of distortion that includes all of the above.

This distortion can itself cause pressure, tension, or irritation to the nerves directly as they exit the spine.  In other cases, it’s the changes to the muscles as a result of the distortion in the spine, pelvis, and hips that leads to compression of the sciatic nerve, often in the buttock or back of the leg.

These factors need to be properly assessed and ruled in/out to correctly diagnose the CAUSE. Only when we know the cause can we determine the best course of action to fix it.

If you’re suffering from any of these symptoms then the most important first step is to find out the cause of them. This is where you probably need some help.

Unfortunately, there is no simple, magic-bullet solution for everyone.  The next best thing is to correctly diagnose the core problem, and that’s something we can help with.

Look, here’s the truth: I don’t know if we can help you.

That’s why we offer complimentary consultations so that together we can decide if we are the best place to get the care you need.  If not, we have an excellent network of other healthcare practitioners who share the same goal as us – to find the best solution for you.

Click below to book your free sciatica consultation.

Dr. Michael Gibson has committed himself to helping others to live the best life possible. After graduating with a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, he received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree and Masters of Science in Chiropractic Sports Science from Life University. He is the co-creator of Life By Design, owner of The Wellness Group, and co-owner of CrossFit 613. His passion for empowering families runs deep. After experiencing the loss of his sister due to illness, Michael’s purpose became reaching and teaching as many as possible the foundational principles of an extraordinary life. Since that time he has passionately pursued and been successful in living out his dream. He maintains a busy family chiropractic practice, a full speaking schedule and finds time to implement the principles and practices of Life By Design in his own life.