Sciatica and leg pain

It’s extremely common, extremely painful and extremely frustrating. It’s sciatica, one of the most
common problems contributing to people missing work in the US. Contrary to popular usage
in everyday speech, it’s not a condition. Rather, it’s a grouping of symptoms which include
everything that stinks about back troubles.

Here’s a short list of sciatica’s greatest hits (tongue firmly planted in cheek):

Lower Back Pain
Leg Pain
Burning Sensation
Numbness/Tingling
Muscular Weakness

So you read that list and think, I have some one or more of these symptoms and it’s the worst
- you might be a sciatica sufferer. One of the tricks that back pain causing conditions pull,
is to have very similar results. As a form of radiculopathy (when related to herniated discs
compressing the sciatic nerve, the namesake of sciatica), these types of symptoms are often
associated, although the direct cause may differ. That’s why spinal decompression practitioners
and other pain specialists typically require MRIs to determine the root cause of pain.

In many cases, disc irregularities like herniation or degeneration cause the nerve compression
that leads to irritation, inflammation and pain. Spinal decompression is one of our mainline
treatments for conditions like these, but Living Well Medical in NYC is multidisciplinary facility;
physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, Active Release Technique and so many
other techniques are available under one roof. Based on what we find, we create a unique
treatment program that is built around what’s wrong with you - none of these cookie cutter
programs you find in other pain clinics.

Sciatica is a major problem - it puts your life on hold completely. I talk to patients who can’t
stand, can’t sit, can’t even lie down to sleep properly because the pain is always there. The
most important thing is to see a doctor if the pain doesn’t go away in short order. Call us at 212-
645-8151.

I Hurt Myself While Carrying My Laptop

We sometimes see patients come in who haven't had a slip or fall or an accident or have any sudden trauma occur, but instead they complain about pain resulting from every day activities, like running to catch the train, or just carrying your laptop around in a messenger bag.

Up until a few years ago, messenger bags weren't very popular, backpacks with shoulder straps were really the only method of carrying your stuff. As messenger bags became more popular, and more accepted in the workplace, partly due to their ability to not look awkward and out of place with a business suit, we started seeing more patients with neck and shoulder, and hip pain from carrying awkwardly secured loads.

Recently a patient complained of neck pain, while he was running late, with his heavy laptop and a few other items loaded in to his messenger bag. There was no accident, no fall, so sudden impact, just running around Manhattan like most of us do on a daily basis.

Messenger bags are fairly hard to secure firmly against the body, and will pretty much always move around and they require constant adjusting, and most people have a preferred side to carry the load on. Not to rail against messenger bags, but they can be a cause for some serious long term chronic, painful conditions. That said there are some helpful ways that we can modify the behavior of the owner of the bag to reduce the incidence of pain and injury.

What does the bag do to cause pain/ injury?

Well, the messenger bag only has one strap and must carry the load to one side while pulling across the body, this causes the opposite oblique and abdominal muscles to contract much harder and more often than is the load was centered on the body.

The Leg to the side of the bag, must work harder, and required much more hip flexor activity to lift the leg while walking, fighting the load of the bag.

The quadriceps and glute muscle to the side of the bag must work harder when going up stairs and bear more impact when going down stairs.

Bearing the load across the body also causes the opposite trapezius muscle to contract for long periods of time, and also recruits the sternocleidomastoid to the same side and causes them to contract in unison to fight the load.

The load often causes the owner of the bag to "lead with their head", leaning the head forward and out, and may lead to developing Forward Head Posture (FHP).

These misalignments in the body can lead to neck pain, back pain, and over time, lead to postural distortions that can develop in to chronic, painful conditions.

How do I avoid Potential Pain?

Switch it up: Switch between the messenger bag and a backpack, and make sure each is carried sung, and securely

Tighten: Make sure the items inside the bag fit securely, that they don't move around too much, tighten straps, and cords to keep things from moving around too much.

Posture: Pay attention to when you are leaning, or moving in a way you naturally wouldnt, and switch sides, switch between carrying the bad over either shoulder equally.

Train: Make sure you are training your body so that your "core" isnt used to handling awkward loads.

Get Help!

We usually treat neck pain and back pain stemming from carrying awkward loads with a combination of Physical Therapy, Behavior Modification, Chiropractic adjustments, and we also use techniques like Graston Technique, and Gaitscan Analysis to address the surrounding musculature and find other problems with the body that may be contributing to the pain/ injury.

Did I Pinch a Nerve?

It might start with just a movement that was a little too quick or a funny position that just didn’t feel right. Maybe you picked up a moving box and felt ‘something pop.’ Before you know it, your in so much pain that you can barely do anything without feeling it. I see people like this all the time at Living Well Medical in SoHo. It doesn’t take much, especially once you get into your late 50’s and higher. Your back gets a little more delicate because the spinal discs don’t work quite like they used to. It’s natural.

So inevitably your mind goes to the worst case scenario: did I pinch a nerve? It’s a scary question.

Everyone knows someone that has had severe back pain. Back pain is one of the most (if not the most) common debilitating conditions in the US. Pinched nerves because of a problem with spinal discs is only one of a host of conditions that lead to serious back pain, but for the purposes of the this blog, we’ll only focus on that (since I deal with them pretty regularly). It takes an MRI to really know if that’s the case, and after you’ve had one you can get cleared for treatment.

Conventional medical clinics will often propose surgical intervention, but no one wants that. If you can avoid the surgical knife and get relief, why the heck not? What’s more, surgery outcomes too often fall short of the hopes of the patients, occasionally having no effect at all (or even worsening things).

Here at Living Well we have a wide variety of non-surgical treatments that we use to get people back in control of their lives and their pain. That might include any number of methods like spinal decompression therapy, Active Release Technique, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, or chiropractic adjustment, - the list goes on - but the specifics of your case and problem will dictate what is chosen.

The main thing is, if your think you have a pinched nerve, go to a doctor! Pain like that doesn’t normally just “go away” on its own; you need a little backup. If you are hurting, give us a call today at 212-645-8151.

Be well!

- Dr. Shoshany, NYC Chiropractor

C5, C6 Herniated Cervical Disc Herniation

Waking up not being able to move your neck seems like a serious issue, most people would definitely freak out a little, running their options through their mind, imagining the worst possible scenarios. Thoughts of the long waiting times in the emergency rooms, the constant pain, the impact on quality of life, and the thought of going under the knife would leave most people feeling defeated.

However giving up and not doing some serious research and seeking out second opinions when it comes to your health options can be a pretty big oversight, because there aren't many more important things in life than health.

Chiropractic adjustments remove interference with the nervous system, allowing the body to heal itself, these interferences can range from tight muscles, muscular imbalances, postural distortions, to herniated or bulging discs. Chiropractic is also the overwhelming alternative to surgery in The U.S.

Here is a Patient Testimonial from Living Well Medical.

What is Sciatica

New York City residents are very likely to suffer from back problems, which can often mean suffering from leg pain or numbness in the form of Sciatica.

Sciatica isn't a condition itself but it is the symptoms of a spinal nerve being impinged, irritated, or otherwise agitated from a bulging, herniated or ruptured spinal disc. Here is a short video about Sciatica, using the "Superspine" spinal model.

What Causes Leg Pain?

As New Yorkers, we are always on the move. Time is money; you’ve got to move fast in this town to succeed. That’s one reason that chronic or severe leg pain is a big problem. More than anything, it’s the pain that’s the problem of course, but the consequences to everyday life are quite noticeable too. So what the heck causes leg pain? How is it capable of so acutely affecting our lives? To the second question, there is probably no satisfactory answer aside from the obvious one (being in constant pain is miserable), but the first is much more quantifiable.

Leg pain is a very general term and doesn’t tell us a lot about the underlying causes, but as far as patients we often see at Living Well Medical here in NYC are concerned, they generally belong to two categories: neurological and musculoskeletal.

Neurological of course means that it involves the nervous system. The legs and lower body is innervated by the sciatic nerve roots that exit the spine in lumbosacral region (lower back and pelvic area). Sometimes, other structures like muscles, fascia or support structures like spinal discs can impinge upon these important nerves. The result can be pain (in the legs, lower back, buttocks, etc.), numbness, tingling, muscle weakness and worse in extreme cases. The most common symptoms are generally associated with sciatica, a group of symptoms related to a pinched sciatic nerve. So essentially, a pinched nerve from something like a bulging or herniated disc might be at the heart of the pain. Spinal decompression, chiropractic adjustment with the Cox flexion technique and even traditional pain management are commonly part of a Living Well Medical complete pain relief programs for leg pain of this type.

Musculoskeletal pain is another common culprit in leg pain, particularly sports-related injuries. If you have ever pulled a hamstring or strained a calf, you know what it feels like. Shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, runner’s knee - there is a world of injuries that come with physical activity. Your legs probably hurt because you have overexerted yourself in some way with these types of injuries. Whether related to repeated stresses on a muscle group or heavy weight bearing activity, your body has a threshold past which you shouldn’t force it. We regularly treat patients like these with non-invasive treatments like Active Release Technique and massage therapy, but the particulars of the case will always determine the course of treatment; there isn’t really a cookie-cutter way to relieve pain. At least, not if you want lasting relief.

So those are the basics of leg pain. It should be noted that this in no way covers everything. It’s mainly meant to show some of our more common leg pain causes. If you have leg pain, we’re here. Call Living Well Medical in SoHo New York and make an appointment - 212-645-8151.

- Dr. Shoshany, NYC Chiropractor

Chiropractic treatment for Lower Back Pain

As the findings of a recent Cochrane study recently confirmed, Chiropractic care for Lower back pain is as safe and effective as traditional medical care, but what may set it apart is its non invasive method, and its track record of safety. Over the past decade there have been about 106,000 deaths per year due to the negative effects of drugs, and drug treatment. NSAID medications alone, produce 10,000-20,000 fatalities from adverse effects on multiple organs, in the United States alone. Chiropractic is the leading choice for alternative pain treatment in the United States, that doesn't involved drugs or medication.

Combining Treatments
Chiropractic treatment is a great method alone, but when combined with other treatment methods, such as the Graston Technique, Cold Laser Therapy, and rehabilitative Physical Therapy, the effects of Chiropractic manipulation can be combined with these advanced treatment methods to create a individualized approach to speeding up the body's natural healing process.

Graston Technique
The Graston Technique is a soft tissue modality that employs several specially designed metal instruments that help treat the build up of scar tissue and other muscular adhesions that may be causing pain, obstructing drainage, resulting in slower healing times, and dysfunction in the body's proper movement patterns.

Cold Laser Therapy
Using a low class laser a beam is focused on to the site of pain, or inflammation for several seconds to minutes depending on the size of the area being treated and the dose provided by the cold laser therapy unit. Low level Laser Therapy may help stimulate the body's healing response and speed up the healing process.

Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy helps the patient return to normal activity through post injury or treatment, by rehabilitating the injured muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. It also helps find underlying structural and muscular weaknesses, then using strength and flexibility exercises addresses the weakness or imbalances.


A combined approach to helping clear the obstructions in the body's natural drainage and healing systems, allows for a reduction in pain, faster heeling, a correction of underlying physiological causes, a reduction in the need for pain medication, and can also help strengthen underlying structural and muscular faults which may lead to dysfunction in the first place.