Could chiropractic care for the lower back have caused sciatica?

Question:

I was having lower back pain so I decided to go to a chiropracter at my gym. He adjusted me by pushing hard on my crossed leg down, at the time it felt good and I heard the crack sound. It wasnt the first time I'd been to a chiropracter so I wasn't concerned. Two days later I could barely walk and pain ran down my right leg. I was travelling the following day on a 10 hour flight. When I landed I was in intense pain although walking around seemed to make me feel better. I had an xray done in another country and was told that it looked like one of my discs were herniated but I waited to get back to the U.S. to see my regular physician and am scheduled for an MRI. I am still in pain but it has alleviated somewhat and I've been riding a stationary bike 3times a week. I'm worried about the treatments I received from the chiro and wonder if they were too harsh or if it was just degenerative and something I wold have anyway. I am 43 years old, a teacher and relatively active. Help.

Answers:
In theory, yes but the answer is much more complicated than this. Number one, you should return to that treating chiropractor and discuss this adverse outcome with him or her as I'd expect one of my patients to. It is very likely you had a pre-existing disc herniation. When he or she adjusted you, you had a soft tissue aggravation that began to swell. If that swollen tissue is either the disc itself or the facet joint ligament you can get sciatica symptoms. These symptoms are self-limiting and will typically resolve in 2-3 weeks. It is very unlikely the adjustment actually caused the disc herniation, rather it exacerbated one that was already there and without leg pain symptoms at initial presentation, the treating chiro would have no reason to have ordered an MRI. Hope this helps and again, return to the treating chiropractor and discuss this adverse outcome.
Best,
Jeremy Rodgers, DC, ATC
Boulder, Colorado

It sounds to me that you were on the verge of getting into a sciatica condition and perhaps the chiropractor pushed it over the edge.

I know from personal experience that after a visit to my chiropractor I am sorer for the next few days because the muscles, tendons and soft tissue have been moved around and express their discomfort with pain. If done right, the adjustment is meant to put everything back into its proper place which means moving muscles, tendons and soft tissue that has eased over time into the WRONG place. This adjustment will cause pain for a few days.

Give you body time to re-adjust and take some ibuprofen pills like Aleve and see if the end result is better.

If not, then do your MRI thing.

I hate to tell you this but I have heard this same situation about 25 times at my Pain and PT clinics. The chiropractor did not necessarily cause your sciatica, but he probably pushed you over the edge. Alot of people see a chiropractor if they have minor back pain and think that the relief is just what they needed and I imagine it does feel wonderful, however it is the worst thing for in the world for women our age because alot of women at this age begin to show the signs of Arthritis and Disc degeneration.
If you have been told that you have a ruptured disc it is likely to be true and the disc is likely into your sciatic nerve.
That is why it is never good to go to a chiropractor with out seeing a medical doctor first. There are so many of them out there that will not assess/or be honest with you about your problem or what their treatment will do to you long term.
So yes, your treatments from the chiropractor where way to harsh and may have really exaggerated a problem that would have been easier solved with some X Rays and PT.

Could chiropractic care for the lower back have caused sciatica?

Health Resources