Sciatica Specialist

What causes sciatica?

Most people think of sciatica as a specific health condition, but it refers to a group of symptoms occurring when the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed, irritated, or compressed.

The sciatic nerves leave your lower spine, go down your left and right buttocks, and continue to travel down both legs to your feet. Along the way, the nerves branch out to serve different parts of your legs and feet.

Several lower back conditions can pinch or irritate the nerve, including:

• Herniated discs
• Spinal stenosis
• Facet joint arthritis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Bone spurs
  
  

A rare condition called piriformis syndrome also causes sciatica when muscles in your buttock spasm and pinch the nerve. 

What symptoms occur if I have sciatica? 

You can recognize sciatica by its hallmark symptom: pain that begins in your lower back and radiates along the nerve to travel down one leg. Though the severity of sciatica issues vary from person to person, most people describe it as debilitating. 

Acute sciatica causes sudden and excruciating pain. But this type of sciatica typically improves in a few weeks. 

Chronic sciatica lasts several months or longer and typically feels worse when you engage in certain activities. For example, sitting for a long time, bending, and twisting tends to trigger symptoms.

Acute and chronic sciatica may also cause tingling or numbness in your leg and foot. If you have a severely pinched nerve, you can also develop muscle weakness in the affected leg. 

How do pain specialists treat sciatica?

The first line of treatment for sciatica includes anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy. These therapies may be all you need to get relief from the pain, depending on the type and severity of your sciatica.

When your sciatica sticks around or the pain is unbearable, it’s time to move up to the advanced treatments offered by Dr. Tsoi. Your customized treatment plan includes one or more of the following, which represent interventional, regenerative, and complementary therapies: 

• Lumbar epidural steroid injection
• Neuromodulation (spinal cord stimulation)
• Facet joint injections
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
• Stem cell injections
• Epidural nerve block
• Intrathecal pain pump
• Acupuncture 
  
  

In many cases, these treatments provide enough pain relief to avoid surgery.

With the array of treatment options available at Advanced Wellness & Musculoskeletal Pain Clinic, you shouldn’t keep suffering from sciatica. Don’t wait to call the office or schedule an appointment online.