Sciatica Specialist

What is sciatica?

Sciatica refers to the symptoms you experience when you have a pinched sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve leaves your spine in your lower back. Then it branches down both sides of your body, traveling through the buttocks and to the bottom of each leg. 

Though you have sciatic nerves in both legs, sciatica only affects one leg.

What symptoms occur due to sciatica?

A pinched sciatic nerve causes pain that suddenly shoots down one leg. This hallmark symptom may cause mild, aching pain. But most people experience sharp, electric-shock, excruciating pain.

Compressed nerves usually cause other sensations that radiate down the same leg, including tingling (pins and needles) and a burning feeling. You may also experience numbness in your leg instead of pain.

In severe cases, the muscles in your leg weaken, and you may not be able to lift the front of your foot. Though it’s rare, you could experience changes in your bladder and bowel function. These symptoms are signs of a serious problem that needs emergency medical care.

What causes sciatica?

Some people develop sciatica after an injury or straining their lower back. However, it most often occurs when a condition in your spine pinches the nerve.

The most common causes include:

• Herniated discs
• Spinal stenosis
• Facet joint arthritis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Bone spurs
• Thickened ligaments
• Slipped vertebra

It doesn't happen often, but the sciatic nerve may get compressed as it passes through your buttocks and the muscle pinches the nerve. This condition is called piriformis syndrome.

How is sciatica treated?

Sciatica treatment begins with a conservative approach, but many people find it doesn’t ease the pain. That's when Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management can help. 

Your provider reviews your medical history and previous diagnostic images, then completes a physical exam.

After verifying your diagnosis, they create a customized treatment plan that may include one of the following in-office treatments: 

• Epidural steroid injections
• Nerve blocks
• Spinal cord stimulation
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Stem cell injections
• Facet joint injections
• Peripheral nerve stimulation

Your provider chooses the best treatment based on the condition causing your sciatica. However, some interventional treatments, such as spinal cord stimulation, work by stopping the pain from any part of your body rather than targeting a specific condition.

Don't put up with the pain of sciatica. Call Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management or book an appointment online today.