Are you suffering from a “True Sciatica Condition” or from what’s called a Piriformis Syndrome? A true sciatica condition can be due to a disc bulge or some degenerative changes to the lower lumbar spine usually in the L5/S1 vertebral levels. Where as a Piriformis syndrome occurs when you have irritation to the sciatic nerve as it passes the Piriformis muscle. Now both can and will give you pain into the “butt” with pain, burning or shooting sensations radiating into the leg, some time but not always going all the way to the foot. Usually a “Piriformis” problem will only be to 1 leg where as a disc can be to both or alternating between the two sides in some cases, depending on the location of the disc bulge. Now you may say if they both cause similar pain and “feel” the same what difference does it make. The treatment approach for the two conditions can vary greatly. First how do we tell which is which?

Sciatica from a disc or injury to the lowback can be determined by performing a few different orthopedic maneuvers. If you are in a seated position and raise the leg straight out and you get shooting pain think lowback/disc. If you are sitting or lying on your back and you bring the knee up straight to the same shoulder there should be no pain, but if you cross the knee to the opposite shoulder and get pain in the “butt” think Piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle assists in rotating the femur. Another way we check in the office is I have the patient in a standing position and put pressure at the lower lumbar joint. If that gives them pain – think sciatica. However, if I do that and they don’t get any or very little pain but when I apply digital pressure (take my finger and push) on the Piriformis muscle (which is located in the dimple of the butt) they have the pain shoot into the butt, leg etc. – think Piriformis. In my office more people come in with Piriformis injuries then actual disc/Sciatica injuries. You can try these simple checks at home but if you can’t figure it out you need to get it checked by a Chiropractor to see which one it is so you know what treatments and exercises to do to get it better.

Not only does it look bad it also has other health factors associated with it like rounding of the shoulders which can cause a 30% decrease in breathing capacity, headaches, problems with your nervous system, digestive system, hormone system and more.

According to www.NeckSolutions.com, for every inch that your head is held forward from perfect alignment, its weight on the neck increases ten pounds. That puts a lot of stress on your neck and facial muscles, which is transferred back to your head in the form of a headache or migraine as these muscles grow fatigued.  Read more:

What can cause poor posture? Injuries to the back that where never treated  or not treated properly. Sitting at the computer for hours on end (sound familiar) sitting there looking down and texting (for hours on end), lack of exercise, kids carrying to heavy of a back pack and not fitted to the properly, poor mattress or sleeping on your stomach, and the list goes on.

So what can you do about it? make sure your work station is set up properly for YOU, schedule stretch breaks when at the computer, start to exercise and strengthen the muscle in your upper back, neck and shoulders the right way. A really good website with stretches and exercises is www.straightenupamerica.org Go to a Chiropractor who can help restore the normal alignment to the spine while you are strengthening the surrounding musculature. There is even computerized programs out there like the one we use in our office called Posture Pro(tm) that allows use to measure your posture and monitor if it is getting better.

Nutritional deficiencies are a widespread, ‘epidemic” according to Sherry Rogers, MD. The question is why?

1)The soil food is grown in has been depleted to the point of providing far less nutritional value now compared to the past. Data collected by the U.S. government show that the nutritional content of America’s vegetables and fruits has declined during the past 50 years — in some cases dramatically.

Donald Davis, a biochemist at the University of Texas, said that of 13 major nutrients in fruits and vegetables tracked by the Agriculture Department from 1950 to 1999, six showed noticeable declines — protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin and vitamin C. The declines ranged from 6 percent for protein, 15 percent for iron, 20 percent for vitamin C, and 38 percent for riboflavin. Read more…

2) People are eating far more “non foods” which would be anything refined,processed genetically altered, GMO’s etc. and the list goes on and on.

So, what are people doing about it? Some are eating more organic foods which can be helpful but expensive and not enough on its own. Others are running down to Costco or the drug store and buying multi vitamins (10,000 per bottle for 10 dollars) Ok, I maybe exaggerating a little but not much. There are a thousand vitamin companies out there now a days and few regulations, so unless you are getting things from a reputable company like Standard Process, Apex, Systemic (to name a few) you just don’t know what you are getting or if you are taking the right supplement for what is bothering you. Bottom line before you go out and spend money on vitamins make sure you are getting something of quality.

Did you know that antacids can cause ulcers, chronic inflammation, leaky gut, food allergies, anemia, inflammatory bowel disease and more. Your stomach is a very acid environment with a pH at 2 or less – same as a car battery (7 is neutral.) This acid helps to destroy bacteria, yeasts, and parasites. It helps you to absorb Vitamin B12 and minerals that allow you to release hormones from the pancreas, without which can lead to development of diabetes and breakdown protein. When undigested proteins get to the intestines, inflammation begins leading to leaky gut syndrome, chronic allergies, chronic constipation and/or diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease.

The medical answer is not to treat the cause but treat the symptom by trying to kill the bacteria with things like Pepto Bismol and antibiotics. Acid blockers by definition make your stomach less acidic. So, this begs the question why would anyone take antacids? Billions of dollars are made by pharmaceutical companies each year, so that answer is clear. It is also worth noting that women suffer more then men.

There are many natural things you can do to as acid reflux remedies to bring back your system’s proper pH. You can take natural remedies, like Zypan from Standard Process and actively combine certain foods to help reduce the stress to your stomach. Both strategies should be monitored by a licensed nutritionist to ensure safety.