What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a painful condition associated with your sciatic nerve, a pencil-thick nerve that runs from your low back through your hips and buttocks all the way down to your feet. In most cases, sciatica pain only affects one side of your body.

The degree of your sciatica pain may vary and it may resolve on its own, but if your discomfort doesn’t go away after a couple of weeks, the team at Pain Medicine Group can provide treatment.

How do I know if my pain is caused by sciatica?

Pain that radiates from your low back down one of your legs is the hallmark of sciatica. However, sciatica pain can occur at any point along the path of the nerve. The type of pain caused by sciatica varies and can be either dull, sharp, or burning.

Other symptoms of sciatica include:

• Leg numbness or weakness
• Electric shock-like sensation
• Tingling in the affected leg

You may notice an increase in pain after sitting for a long period of time or after you sneeze or cough.

What causes sciatica pain?

Sciatica pain usually occurs when the nerve gets pinched or inflamed, which can originate from a number of conditions, including:

Lumbar herniated disc

A herniated disc occurs when the gel from the center of a vertebral disc leaks out, irritating your nerve.

Isthmic spondylolisthesis

Isthmic spondylolisthesis occurs when your vertebra slips forward over an adjacent vertebra, causing compression of your sciatic nerve.

Degenerative disc disease

Like the rest of your body, the discs in your back naturally wear out over time. Rapid degeneration of the discs in your low back may lead to sciatic nerve irritation and sciatica pain.

Trauma

A car accident or fall that causes trauma to your spine can lead to compression of your sciatic nerve and associated pain and discomfort.

Understanding the cause of your sciatica pain helps your Pain Medicine Group physician develop your customized treatment plan.

How is sciatica pain treated?

The team at Pain Medicine Group offer a number of treatment options to relieve your sciatica pain. Some of the treatments focus on the musculoskeletal system, including physical therapy, or chiropractic care.

Your doctor may also recommend cutting-edge regenerative treatments for sciatica pain, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, which help regenerate tissue to promote healing and relieve pain and inflammation.

For advanced treatment options to relieve your sciatica pain, call Pain Medicine Group today or schedule an appointment online.

What other medical issues do we treat?

At Pain Medicine Group, we treat a wide range of medical issues including:

• Arm Pain
• Arthritis pain
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Degenerative Disc
• Disc Herniation
• Fibromyalgia pain
• Foot pain
• Headache
• Hip pain
• Knee pain
• Leg pain
• Low back pain
• Migraines
• Neck pain
• Nerve pain
• Neuropathy
• Radiculopathy
• Sciatica pain
• Shoulder pain