“I also had pain shooting down my leg. … I mow my yard again plus my mother in laws yard. I enjoy going to the mall. I’m back to doing activities I’d stopped doing. I don’t need advil or creams.”Theresa P., a patient of Dr. Scranton
What sciatica is, and where it usually comes from
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It leaves the spine at the lower back, passes under the buttock and runs down the back of the leg to the foot. Sciatica is what happens when it is pinched or irritated somewhere along that route: a deep ache in the buttock, pain shooting down the leg, numbness or pins and needles in the calf or foot, and a back that seizes when you stand up from sitting.
The pinch is usually at the spine: a disc that has bulged, a joint that has jammed, or a pelvis that is out of level and loading one side. Sometimes it is a muscle in the buttock. The X-ray and the Gonstead exam tell Dr. Scranton which, and that decides the treatment.
How sciatica is treated here
- Specific adjustments to the joint of the lower back or pelvis that is catching the nerve.
- Nerve gliding and soft tissue work to free the nerve along its path.
- Positions and exercises that take the load off the nerve between visits.
- No drugs and no surgery. If the exam shows a disc or nerve problem outside his scope, he refers you on.
Why people choose Dr. Scranton for this
He looks before he treats
Digital X-rays on site at the first visit, read with you in the room. The Gonstead exam finds the joint that is actually causing the problem, so that is what gets treated.
He has done this for a long time
Palmer College of Chiropractic, class of 1999. More than 10,000 patients. Years spent teaching other chiropractors how to treat knee pain and neuropathy.
He tells you the truth
If he does not think he can help you, he will say so at the first visit. No plan is written that you have not agreed to. You will never be a number in this office.
What to expect at your first visit
1. You tell him what is happening. When it started, what makes it worse, what you have already tried. Nobody hurries you.
2. The exam, and X-rays if you need them. Digital X-rays are taken on site and read with you in the room, so you see what he is seeing before he touches your spine.
3. A straight answer. What he found, whether he can help, and what it would take. If he does not think he can help you, he will tell you. We are not going to give you false hope.
The first visit is $47, usually $180, and covers the consultation, the exam, any X-rays you need and the conversation afterwards.
Patients who came in with pain down the leg
“I had no strength in my left hip. I had to lift my leg with my hands to get into the car and to get into and out of bed. … I am able to sleep and smile again. The pain is manageable now. I feel so much better!!”Deborah T.
“For years I have had hip and lower back pain that has limited my ability to engage in much physical activity. … I also started walking again and managed 2+ miles without a limp!!! I am not taking the prescription medicine anymore.”Tom C.
Every quote is a real patient of Dr. Scranton. Results vary from person to person.
Questions people ask about sciatica
Is my leg pain sciatica or something else?
Pain that starts in the lower back or buttock and travels down the back of the leg is usually sciatic, especially with numbness or pins and needles in the foot. Hip joint pain and knee pain can imitate it. The exam and X-rays at the first visit separate them, and Dr. Scranton tells you which it is.
What does the first visit cost?
$47, usually $180. That covers the consultation, the exam, any X-rays you need and a sit-down with Dr. Scranton to go through what they show. No other price is quoted until you have been examined and have agreed to a plan.
Should I rest, or keep moving?
Gentle movement is usually better than bed rest, but the right positions depend on where the nerve is caught, which is what the exam finds. Dr. Scranton gives you specific positions and exercises to use between visits, and tells you what to avoid.
Can a chiropractor help a disc bulge that is pressing on the nerve?
Often, yes, by taking the load off the disc and restoring movement in the joints around it, so the nerve has room. The X-ray shows how much the disc space has narrowed, and that decides the plan. If the exam suggests the disc needs another kind of doctor first, he will say so.
How many visits will it take?
It depends on what the exam and X-rays show, and nobody can honestly tell you before that. After the first visit Dr. Scranton lays out what he found and what a plan would look like. You decide from there. Nobody is put on a plan they have not agreed to.
Do you see sciatica patients from Taylorsville and West Jordan?
Yes. The clinic sits on the West Valley City and Taylorsville border, a minute off the I-215, and patients come from Kearns, Magna, West Jordan and South Jordan.
Action Chiropractic is at 2964 West 4700 South #102, on the West Valley City and Taylorsville border, a minute off the I-215. We see patients from Kearns, Magna, West Jordan and South Jordan.
Back pain Pinched nerve Disc problems Gonstead chiropractic care Request an appointment