The Most Advanced Treatment for Sciatic Pain
EmergeOrtho’s board-certified and fellowship-trained spine specialists will provide a thorough examination and assessment of the exact cause of your sciatic pain. Afterwards, we will provide a customized plan to provide compassionate, innovative treatment to help you emerge stronger.
What is sciatica?
Sciatica is a pulsing, shooting pain that runs from the lower back, through the hips and buttocks to the legs. It’s most often caused by damage or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. This nerve starts at the lower back and goes over the hips down into the legs. Almost always, sciatica only affects one side of your body. It causes severe pain, numbness, weakness, or tingling that usually fades in a few weeks with the support of non-invasive treatments. This condition can develop gradually or occur suddenly.
Sciatica occurs when there is an overgrowth of bone on your vertebrae or a ruptured disc in your spine. Similar symptoms can occur if the nerve is damaged because of diabetes, from vascular conditions, or other diseases. Sciatica may also be caused by radiculopathy (a pinched or compressed nerve). Obesity, your occupation, age, and prolonged sitting are also common risk factors for sciatica.
Symptoms of Sciatica
Symptoms of sciatica include:
- Pain (that may be severe) radiating from your lower back (lumbar) region down to your legs and foot
- Tingling
- Muscle weakness
- Pain that gets worse after prolonged sitting
- Pain that is usually only on one side
- Numbness
- Muscle weakness
- Burning
- Pain that feels like an electric shock
These symptoms are common in patients with a herniated disc [DW2], bone spurs or spinal stenosis.
Treatment for Sciatica
Often, a mild case of sciatica will resolve itself with rest, self-care and time. However, more severe cases will require treatment that may include:
- Muscle relaxants
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Physical therapy
- Steroidal medication
- Steroid injections
Surgery is only considered when nonsurgical options have proven ineffective and clear evidence of the source of the sciatica is evident on imaging studies. When the compressed nerve leads to loss of bladder and bowel control, serious weakness, or pain that worsens over time instead of improving, surgery may be performed. Sciatica surgery usually involves removing a part of the ruptured disk or the bone spur to stop pressing on the pinched nerve.
These treatments may include a microdisectomy, which removes part of the herniated disc, or a laminectomy can be performed to remove some of the bone or disc material that is pinching the nerve.
EmergeOrtho offers conservative and surgical treatment throughout the Carolinas for patients that suffer from sciatica and other forms of back, neck and spine pain. If you want to know more about sciatica and treatment options, please contact us today.
