Can You Have Sciatica Without Back Pain? | Serra Mesa, CA

Yes. Your leg can hurt from sciatica even when your lower back feels completely normal.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC sees this more often than people might expect.

A patient comes in because the outside of the calf has been burning for two months. Another has a deep ache in one buttock and tingling that reaches the foot. Someone else says the pain isn't even that bad anymore, but two toes have stayed numb and they're starting to wonder why.

Then comes the part that can be confusing.

Their back doesn't hurt.

So how could the problem possibly be coming from the lower spine?

Because nerves don't always hurt where they're being irritated. A lumbar nerve can be irritated near the spine and produce symptoms farther down its pathway. Depending on which nerve is involved and how it's being affected, the patient may notice much more in the buttock, leg or foot than in the back itself.

That doesn't mean every painful leg is sciatica. Hip problems, muscular injuries and peripheral nerve problems can produce symptoms in some of the same areas.

After more than 22 years treating disc injuries and sciatica, Dr. Boelk doesn't make that call simply because somebody points to the back of their leg.

He wants the whole story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Dr. Boelk Has Been a Lifesaver”

“I suffered from constant low back pain and sciatica for more than eight months.”

“Dr. Boelk has been a lifesaver.

I suffered from constant low back pain and sciatica for more than eight months. Pain medications didn't help, and I was headed toward multiple injections in hopes of finding relief.

After beginning treatment with Dr. Boelk, everything changed.

Today, my pain is completely gone.

As a firefighter who depends on his body every day to help others, being pain-free has made a tremendous difference in both my career and quality of life.

The results I experienced were absolutely worth it, and I highly recommend looking into what Dr. Boelk and his team can do for you.”

— Joshua T., San Diego, CA

Joshua had lower-back pain along with his sciatica. Plenty of patients don't.

The point isn't that your symptoms need to look like Joshua's. It's that sciatica can present very differently from one person to the next, and those differences are useful when you're trying to figure out what's actually going on.

If You're Not Sure Where the Pain Is Coming From, That's Okay

Patients sometimes hesitate to schedule because they don't have a diagnosis yet.

That's not necessary.

If you're in Serra Mesa or the surrounding San Diego area, you can sit down personally with Dr. Boelk for a No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation and show him exactly what has been happening.

Maybe you already have an MRI and know you have a disc herniation.

Maybe you've been told it's sciatica but nobody has really explained why.

Or maybe all you know is that your leg has been bothering you for three months and nothing you've tried has made much difference.

Those are all reasonable reasons to come in.

During the No-Charge Consultation, Dr. Boelk will:

• Go through when and how the problem started.

• Have you show him exactly where the symptoms travel.

• Discuss pain, burning, numbness, tingling or weakness.

• Talk about which positions and activities make things better or worse.

• Review treatments you've already tried and how you responded.

• Review your actual MRI images and report if you have them.

• Compare the imaging with what you're actually experiencing.

• Discuss whether further examination or imaging may be appropriate.

• Determine whether Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option.

• Tell you if he doesn't believe you're a candidate.

• Answer your questions.

You don't need an MRI to schedule the consultation.

And coming in doesn't mean you're agreeing to treatment.

Dr. Boelk still has to determine whether he thinks he can help.

He performs these consultations himself while also treating his existing patients, so the office can only set aside a limited number during the clinic schedule.

Call 619-298-0800 and ask for the next available No-Charge Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

What Does Sciatica Without Back Pain Actually Feel Like?

There isn't one answer.

One person may have a nagging ache in the buttock that travels a few inches into the thigh. Another has sharp pain all the way into the calf. Another describes electricity or burning. Some patients don't have much pain at all but are bothered by persistent tingling or numbness.

This is where being specific helps.

Instead of simply telling Dr. Boelk that your “left leg hurts,” show him the exact path.

Does it start in the buttock?

Does it travel down the back of the thigh or more along the outside?

Does it cross the knee?

Where does it go in the calf?

Does it reach the foot?

Which part of the foot?

Which toes?

Dr. Boelk will also want to know whether anything has changed with strength. Maybe going up on your toes feels different on one side. Maybe lifting the front of the foot is harder. Maybe you're catching a toe occasionally when you walk.

Those details can help identify whether a particular nerve may be involved.

They're clues, though—not a diagnosis by themselves.

Patients don't always follow perfect textbook nerve patterns, and more than one problem can sometimes be present at the same time.

A Lot of Patients Treat the Leg First

That makes sense.

If your buttock hurts, you work on the buttock.

If your hamstring feels tight, you stretch your hamstring.

If your calf burns, you massage the calf.

Sometimes that's exactly what the problem needs.

But Dr. Boelk becomes more suspicious of nerve involvement when a patient has been treating the same area over and over and the symptoms keep returning, especially when there's also burning, tingling or numbness.

The way stretching affects the symptoms can be useful too.

A normal muscle stretch should feel like a stretch.

If stretching the leg repeatedly sends pain farther down the leg or produces tingling or burning, that's worth mentioning during the consultation.

Dr. Boelk isn't interested in forcing every symptom into a spinal diagnosis. He's interested in figuring out whether the spine is actually involved before deciding what to do about it.

Your MRI Can Help, but It Doesn't Get the Final Vote

Patients sometimes arrive carrying an MRI report with four or five findings circled.

Disc degeneration.

Disc bulge.

Herniation.

Foraminal narrowing.

Facet changes.

The natural reaction is to think all of it is bad and all of it needs treatment.

That's usually not a very useful way to read an MRI.

Dr. Boelk wants to see whether something on the images actually fits the problem you're describing.

If your symptoms are primarily in the right leg, is there a finding that could reasonably affect the appropriate nerve on the right?

If your foot is numb, does the location make sense?

If you've developed weakness, can the imaging help explain it?

This is why Dr. Boelk prefers to see the actual MRI images when they're available rather than relying only on the written report.

The report gives useful information. The images give additional information. Your history and symptoms provide another part of the picture.

They need to be looked at together.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The Improvement Has Allowed Me to Get Back to Hiking, Traveling, and Enjoying Life Again”

“Honestly, I wasn't sure I would ever heal.”

“I have had an outstanding experience with Dr. Boelk and his staff at The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego.

They follow a very structured treatment protocol and utilize the best spinal decompression equipment available. I've been treated elsewhere using lower-quality decompression systems and never experienced meaningful improvement.

Dr. Boelk is attentive, professional, and genuinely cares about every patient. You can see it in the way he interacts with everyone who walks through the door.

After about 12 treatments, my sciatica was gone and I was nearly back to normal. Honestly, I wasn't sure I would ever heal. What surprised me most was that after my very first treatment, I experienced significant relief and was able to sleep mostly pain-free for the first time in months.

The improvement has allowed me to get back to hiking, traveling, and enjoying life again.

This treatment was one of the best investments I've ever made.

Thank you, Dr. Boelk and your entire team.”

— Michael Langsdale, San Diego, CA

Patients often focus on how much something hurts, but Dr. Boelk also wants to know what the problem has stopped you from doing.

That's sometimes a better measure of how much the problem is affecting your life.

Think About What Has Changed Over the Last Few Months

Can you still walk as far as you normally would?

Can you sit through a movie or dinner without constantly shifting around?

What happens on a longer drive?

Are you sleeping normally?

Are you still exercising?

Have you stopped golfing, hiking, surfing or doing something else because you don't trust the leg?

Patients gradually make these adjustments, and after a while they barely notice how many they've made.

Someone will tell Dr. Boelk, “It's really not that bad,” and then explain that they haven't worked out in four months, can't sit longer than 20 minutes and haven't slept through the night in weeks.

That is part of the problem too.

If symptoms are improving steadily, giving the body some time can certainly make sense.

But if the weeks keep passing and you're doing less rather than more, it may be worth finding out why.

Pay Attention to What the Nerve Is Doing, Not Just How Much It Hurts

This is particularly important when numbness or weakness is involved.

A patient may actually be pleased because the sharp leg pain has decreased, but when Dr. Boelk asks more questions, they mention that the foot is still numb or the leg feels weaker.

That changes the conversation.

Tell Dr. Boelk if numbness isn't going away, if it's spreading, or if you've noticed a change in strength.

Difficulty lifting the front of the foot, a foot that begins slapping when you walk, or repeatedly catching your toes are things that shouldn't be casually ignored.

Most cases of sciatica aren't emergencies. Rapidly progressing weakness, new bowel or bladder dysfunction, difficulty urinating, or numbness involving the groin or saddle area requires prompt medical evaluation rather than waiting for a routine spinal decompression consultation.

Is Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Appropriate?

It depends on what's causing the symptoms and what Dr. Boelk finds.

He evaluates patients with problems including lumbar disc bulges and herniations, degenerative disc disease, disc-related sciatica, foraminal narrowing, selected cases of spinal stenosis, and chronic disc-related lower-back and leg pain.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego uses the DRX9000 exclusively.

That doesn't mean everyone with a disc problem belongs on a decompression table.

Dr. Boelk considers the symptoms, imaging, neurological findings, spinal stability, bone health, previous surgery and medical history before recommending treatment.

An unhealed fracture, significant osteoporosis, unstable spondylolisthesis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, pregnancy for lumbar decompression, certain malignancies and other medical or structural problems may make decompression inappropriate.

Previous surgery needs to be looked at carefully as well, particularly when fusion or metal hardware is present at the level that would need treatment.

★ Coming in for a Consultation Doesn't Guarantee Dr. Boelk Will Treat You

Jeff J. traveled from Tucson to meet with Dr. Boelk.

After they reviewed his situation, they agreed that spinal decompression wasn't the right answer for his back.

“After a honest and forthright conversation, we both determined that surgery was my only option to correct my back issues.”

“I found this terrific practice on social media. I followed up and did my own research so I decided to pay them a visit. The place is clean, well organized and run by a very efficient receptionist. I met with the doctor and after a honest and forthright conversation, we both determined that surgery was my only option to correct my back issues. I will return as a customer when the time is right.”

— Jeff J., Tucson, AZ

That's an important part of how Dr. Boelk approaches these consultations.

There are patients he believes he can help, and there are patients he doesn't.

If decompression isn't appropriate, the patient should know that before spending time and money on treatment.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

Dr. Boelk has worked with spinal decompression and disc-related conditions for more than 22 years and has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments.

• Doctor of Chiropractic

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist (PPSC)

• Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

• Trains other doctors in spinal decompression protocols and techniques

• Founding Member, American Spinal Decompression Society

• Member, International Disc Education Association

• California X-Ray Radiation Supervisor & Operator

Dr. Boelk also knows what it's like to deal with a significant spinal injury himself. He suffered an L5 compression fracture at 16 and later dealt with disc injuries and sciatica.

He continues to surf, play hockey and exercise, which is one reason his conversations with patients aren't limited to “How much does it hurt?”

He also wants to know what you're trying to get back to.

Your Back Doesn't Have to Hurt for Your Leg Symptoms to Be Worth Evaluating

If your leg has been hurting, burning, tingling or going numb for weeks or months, you don't need to wait until you develop lower-back pain before asking someone to look at it.

You also don't need to arrive already knowing what's wrong.

That's the point of the consultation.

During your No-Charge Consultation you can:

• Sit down personally with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

• Explain how the problem started and how it has changed.

• Show him exactly where the symptoms travel.

• Discuss numbness, tingling, burning or weakness.

• Go over what makes the problem better or worse.

• Review treatments you've already tried.

• Have Dr. Boelk review your actual MRI images and report if you have them.

• Find out whether additional examination or imaging may be appropriate.

• Find out whether Dr. Boelk believes Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option.

• Ask questions before making any decisions about treatment.

There is no charge and no obligation to start care.

If Dr. Boelk doesn't think you're a candidate, he'll tell you.

And if you don't have an MRI yet, that's okay too.

Dr. Boelk personally performs these consultations while continuing to treat the patients already under his care, so the office can only set aside a limited number during the clinic schedule.

The decision isn't whether you're ready to commit to spinal decompression.

It's simply whether you'd like to stop guessing and find out what Dr. Boelk thinks.

Call 619-298-0800

Ask for the next available No-Charge Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

If you have an MRI, bring the images and report. If you don't, you can still schedule.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego
5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123

619-298-0800
SanDiegoBackCare.com

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