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Sciatica is when the sciatic nerve is impinged, causing pain, numbness, or "shooting electricity" down the back of the leg. As a very successful massage and sports therapist, for years I've made a good living fixing sciatica.

Usually the clients were referred to me after the doctors had done everything in their power to alleviate the pain, and the patient was desperate. They would then call me and say, "I was told you can fix my sciatica."

In my early years as a therapist, I would respond, "I'll be glad to try, but I can't promise I can fix it." Now, I just say, "Yep, get in here and let's fix it."

The sciatic nerve fits into the sciatic notch in the junction of the sacroiliac. When the two joining bones shift, changing the size and shape of the notch, it squeezes the nerve, causing irritation, inflammation, and can be quite debilitating. The next thing that occurs is the other associated muscles tighten to protect the nerve from further impingement, resulting in back pain, often.

Diagnosing, treating, and managing sciatica will be covered in other articles, here, on the top twenty writing contest. Under this title, "Symptoms," I am just describing the situation, which creates the pain. I will add that the symptoms are usually treated, with no regard for the original cause. Muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory drugs, and physical therapy, including heat and cold, are helpful, but don't fix the cause.

The cause can be illusive, but it is often, in men, aggravated by them sitting on their wallets in their hip pockets. It can, and often is a shift in the alignment of the pelvic girdle, causing the notch to change shape and size, no longer accommodating the nerve's size and shape. A good chiropractor can shift the body's structure back into alignment, but the muscle tissue will still need to be addressed, so it's not as easy as it sounds, but not as hard as doctors tend to make it.

For many, suffering from sciatica, there is a fix, but finding a good therapist is not easy, but worth the search. If the condition is allowed to continue for too long, it can begin to cause other associated problems, often in the spine. Then it's much more difficult to repair. So, get to the doctor, find a good therapist and maybe a chiropractor, and get on top of the condition, before it gets worse.

Learn more about this author, Will Kester.
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