Sciatica

What is sciatica?

Your sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body. It starts in your low back and branches out and travels down either side of your hips and buttocks through the backs of your legs.

When this nerve is compromised, usually in your low back due to compression or injury, the effects can often radiate outward along the length of the nerve, causing sciatica.

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

The primary symptom of sciatica is pain, either locally in your low back or down one side of your lower body. The pain may be dull and throbbing or an intense burning sensation with certain movements, like coughing, laughing, or sneezing. Prolonged sitting can also intensify the pain.

Other symptoms of sciatica include:

• Numbness and tingling that radiates down your leg
• Muscle weakness
• In rare cases, bladder problems or bowel dysfunction

If you’re suffering from persistent sciatica that shows no signs of letting up, it’s a good idea to seek the help of the spine specialists at Neuro Pain Consultants.

What causes sciatica?

The underlying causes of your sciatic pain may stem from:

• A herniated disc
• Bone spurs
• Injury to the spine
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spinal stenosis
• Piriformis syndrome (piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve)
• Diabetes
• Spondylolisthesis

There are also certain factors that place you more at risk of developing sciatica, such as poor posture, obesity, and prolonged sitting.

How is sciatica treated?

The doctors at Neuro Pain Consultants typically approach sciatica with one or more of the following:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, antidepressants, or antiepileptic drugs
• Activity modification
• Spinal adjustments
• Spinal injections
• Physical therapy

In most cases, sciatica resolves itself on its own and your doctor’s role is to ensure your comfort as your body corrects the problem.

If, however, your pain doesn’t resolve itself, your doctor will explore other avenues with you, which may include surgery to correct the underlying cause of your sciatic pain.

To find relief from the pain and discomfort of sciatica, call one of the four Neuro Pain Consultants’ locations or schedule an appointment using the online booking tool.

Individual results may vary.