Did someone say sciatica?
Sciatica – characterized by pain going down the leg from the lower back – is frequently misdiagnosed, undertreated, and even ignored until the pain is so severe that standing and walking are almost unbearable. For many, although they have symptoms that seem similar to sciatica, they are actually dealing with issues of the lumbar spine. If you think you have sciatica, you should see your doctor and rule out a herniation or bulging disc before you waste your time with standard sciatica treatments.
I like how Ray Aronow, MA, DPM, DC, describes this condition in Sciatica or Pseudosciatica in the publication Dynamic Chiropractic (http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=39152). As I mentioned, I’m concerned that many people who think they have sciatica actually have a disc issue. This article addresses this in more detail. Aronow even talks about how bowel issues can often cause sciatica. I’ve had clients who had so much poop in their intestines that just a single session to mobilize the colon and restore movement to the surrounding tissues instantly made their “sciatica” disappear. Goes to show you that our digestion and eating behavior can have a relationship to our alignment and structure.
If you have sciatic pain, you may want to go to the MELT finder https://www.meltmethod.com/finder/ and look for a MELT instructor near you. Anyone there can help you restore your body and eliminate the constant ache sciatica can cause, but if you have someone nearby who’s been trained in MELT NeuroStrength, I’d encourage you to see what a few sessions can do for you. These instructors have been trained in advanced techniques that focus on the stabilizing mechanisms of the hip as well as the shoulder girdle and core.
For those of you who aren’t near a trained MELT instructor, I’d recommend that you follow the Pelvis or Hip Pain Self-Treatment Plan in the MELT Method book. This self-treatment plan starts with the Soft Ball Foot Treatment and is also great for anyone who’s dealing with a hip replacement, SI issues, incontinence, or who had a hysterectomy. The plan walks you through the way to introduce MELT to your self-care, week by week, and ends with two maintenance maps to keep you pain free!