What is sciatica?
The term sciatica describes the symptoms that arise when your sciatic nerve grows inflamed.
You have a sciatic nerve that connects each of your feet to your spinal cord. These nerves begin on each side of your lower spine and run through your buttocks and down your legs. They’re the largest single nerves in your body.
Common signs of sciatica include tingling, numbness, and pain that radiates from your lower back into your buttock, hip, and leg. These sensations can be sharp, burning, or like electrical jolts that range from mild to severe. In most cases, it usually affects one side of your body and is activated when you sneeze, cough, or sit for a long time.
What causes sciatica?
You can develop sciatic nerve inflammation for several reasons, especially as a result of herniated discs or bone spurs in your spine. The team also has a special interest and expertise in managing spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis occurs when your spinal canal becomes narrow, compressing or restricting nerve roots and your spinal cord.
Anyone can have sciatica, but your risks increase with the following:
- Having a sedentary lifestyle
- Spending extended periods of time sitting
- Putting stress on your spine because of being overweight or obese
- Having a job that includes a lot of heavy lifting, back twisting, or long stretches of driving
- Sustaining nerve damage from diseases like diabetes
When ignored, sciatica can cause severe and debilitating nerve damage.
How do you treat sciatica?
At Restorative Physical Medicine, the team takes a comprehensive, whole-body approach to treating sciatica. This involves a thorough exam to determine the specific cause of your symptoms so they can either reverse your condition or recommend the most effective treatment available.
Common sciatica treatments include:
- Selective nerve root blocks
- Epidural and transforaminal injections
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD)
- Minimally invasive posterolateral discectomy, including endoscopic discectomy and Disc-FX®
If your sciatica symptoms don’t respond to conservative therapies, the team might also recommend surgery and refer you to some of the best surgeons in town.
For more information on sciatica, call Restorative Physical Medicine or schedule an appointment online today.
