The Sciatic Nerve is the largest nerve in the body, beginning in the lower lumbar vertebrae and traveling through the buttocks, down the leg, to the foot. Often, Sciatic Nerve Pain begins when the nerve gets aggravated by repetitive bending, prolonged sitting (such as driving), and many other everyday activities like gardening, golfing or running. When the Sciatic Nerve exits the vertebrae, it crosses the glutes and exits under the piriformis muscle, which sits right below the gluteal muscles. Any one of these muscles can disrupt the nerve due to imbalances, weakness, and/or hypertonicity. This causes the Sciatic nerve to become compressed, creating the symptoms of Sciatica.
Generally, Sciatica pain is caused by a herniated disc in the 4th or 5th Lumbar region, which impinges the Sciatic Nerve. Another less common cause of Sciatic Pain are synovial cysts.
With more than 30 years of Chiropractic experience, Dr. Michael Veselak has treated numerous cases of Sciatic Nerve Pain. Over the past few years, however, he has changed his treatment methods to incorporate a more functional medicine approach. As a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, Dr. Michael Veselak addresses Sciatic Nerve Pain by first identifying the underlying cause of the pain. It is important to address the pain not only from a musculoskeletal perspective, but also from a neurologic and metabolic perspective. A comprehensive orthopedic and neurologic evaluation is necessary to determine the exact level of compression and the severity of the Sciatica.
Often times, an MRI or X Ray is recommended to determine if the solution to the Sciatic Nerve Pain is non-surgical. In addition to the neurological and metabolic components of care, Dr. Michael Veselak’s Sciatic Relief Program also incorporates gentle exercise designed to relax and stretch the affected muscles, decrease compression on the Sciatic Nerve root, and stabilize and strengthen the lower back muscles. This combination of care is important as to avoid flare-ups of the Sciatic Nerve. Dr. Veselak may also utilize advanced therapy techniques such as Cold Laser therapy, Vibration therapy, Decompression therapy, and Hako-Med therapy to expedite the healing process.
Dr. Michael Veselak’s success rate with even the most complicated cases of Sciatic Nerve Pain is due to his comprehensive functional medicine approach. With the inclusion of state-of-the-art technology, many patients have proven to benefit dramatically from the Sciatic Relief Program more effectively and definitely safer than surgery.
