If you drive Hwy 169 into the Cities every morning, your lower back is absorbing more than you might think. Sitting in stop-and-go traffic for 30 to 60 minutes, locked in the same position with no movement and no circulation, puts significant pressure on the lumbar spine. Over time, that pattern can shift the vertebrae out of alignment and pinch the very nerve roots that give rise to sciatica.
Sciatica is pain that radiates from the lower back down through the buttock and into the leg, especially the back of the leg. It’s one of the most common complaints we see, and commuters aren’t the only ones at risk. Desk workers, people who spend long hours standing on concrete in a warehouse or factory, and anyone doing repetitive bending, lifting, or twisting can end up in the same position.
What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You
Dr. Guy Caspers puts it this way: “Pain and symptoms are really just a warning from your body. Your body is crying out that its limits are being exceeded. We don’t want to cover up those symptoms. We want to get to the root cause and correct it.”
That root cause is typically a pinched nerve in the lower back and pelvic region. The nerves there connect the brain to the lower back, buttocks, and legs, and when they’re compressed, they cry out in the form of that familiar shooting, burning, or radiating pain.
Getting to the Root of It
Care at the practice begins with a thorough consultation and exam to understand exactly how the issue started, how it’s progressed, and what’s making it better or worse. X-rays may be taken to identify any longer-term underlying factors and confirm what the physical exam is showing. From there, specific chiropractic adjustments are aimed at relieving the nerve interference in the lower back and pelvic region.
Between Visits, Keep Moving
One of Dr. Caspers’ favorite reminders to patients is simple: motion is lotion. Keeping the body moving within reason, rather than sitting or lying still for long stretches, supports the healing process. Specific stretches and exercises recommended at the office help maintain flexibility, strengthen the areas that contributed to the problem, and reduce how vulnerable you are to it happening again.
Ready to Stop Living With Sciatic Pain?
If that familiar ache or shooting pain is becoming part of your daily routine, contact Caspers Chiropractic Center today to book an appointment at our Shakopee or Hutchinson location.