Throughout our daily lives, we rely on the strength and durability of our spines and muscles in the back to provide us stability and the ability to complete any movements. If you experience back pain of any kind, it can be debilitating and prevent you from completing even the simplest activities such as walking or sitting.
The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back through the hips and buttocks and down each leg. When there is low back pain, this may be caused by nerve compression of the sciatic nerve roots. From chronic sciatica to acute sciatica, the condition can cause numbness and severe pain in the affected leg, muscle weakness, even permanent nerve damage if not given proper and immediate medical attention.
At New York Spine Specialist, we have the knowledge, skills, and experience to diagnose your sciatic nerve pain, determine the cause of your sciatica pain, and provide you treatment to relieve symptoms and offer pain relief. Once your sciatica is diagnosed, you can prevent further pain and eliminate risk factors.
What Is Sciatic Pain?
Although usually discussed as low back pain, sciatica pain refers to pain radiating along the sciatic nerve path. In general, sciatica pain usually only affects one side of the body.
For most patients with sciatic nerve issues, the condition will often resolve within a few weeks. However, surgery may be necessary to relieve sciatica pain in those with serious pain resulting from a herniated disk, bone spurs, or lumbar spinal stenosis.
Causes of Sciatica Pain
Those who have sciatica are experiencing the results of a pinched nerve. This pinching can be caused by a disc herniation, overgrowth of a bone (bone spur), diabetes, or spinal tumors (a rare but serious condition).
Some risks are common among patients who experience sciatica pain. These include:
- Age
- Excess body weight
- Certain occupations which require twisting of the back or carrying heavy loads
- Prolonged sitting or a sedentary lifestyle
- Diabetes
If you have any of these risks and are experiencing serious back pain in the spinal column, you may have sciatica. You should discuss your condition with a spinal expert and physical therapist.
Common Sciatica Symptoms
The most common sciatica symptoms are various types of pain in the lumbar spine. Your back or leg pain can range from a mild ache to a sharp and burning sensation or even excruciating pain radiating from the nerve root. Since the nerve runs from the low back down through the buttocks and into the legs, you may feel pain in any or all of these regions.
Other patients have also reported feeling numbness, tingling, muscle weaknesses in the legs or feet. For the most part, rest will help to relieve these symptoms caused by sciatica. If rest does not help, the pain worsens, or you lose control of your bowels or bladder, seek immediate medical help.
How Do Our Spine Surgeons Diagnose Sciatica?
When you visit New York Spine Specialist, the first thing that will happen will be a discussion of your symptoms so that our Spine surgeons and medical staff can get a clearer understanding of what you have been experiencing. This is your opportunity to describe the type and location of your pain.
Following this brief conversation, your doctor will then conduct a physical examination. Your muscle strength and reflexes will be checked, and you may be asked to complete basic tasks such as walking on your toes or heels or lifting your legs while lying on your back.
Specific imaging tests may also be ordered to determine the source of your sciatic nerve discomfort. These tests include x-rays, MRI, CT scan, and Electromyography (EMG – a measure of electrical impulses in the nerves). Depending on the outcome of these tests, your doctor will recommend treatment.
Ways to Relieve Pain in the Spinal Cord and Sciatic Nerve Roots
To relieve pain caused by sciatica, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pain relievers or prescription medications, physical therapy, steroid injections, or surgery performed by experienced orthopedic surgeons.
There are some other treatments that you can complete at home to help with the pain. These treatments include:
- Massage therapy (even from your spouse or partner) to relax muscle spasms
- Low impact yoga
- Stretching and a low-impact exercise program to increase strength in the core muscles.
- Eliminate stress (as much as possible) from your life
- Hot or cold packs several times per day
- Follow proper lifting techniques to prevent further injury
- Maintain proper posture
- Keep a healthy weight
If these methods are ineffective in relieving your pain in the spinal canal, it may be time to contact a pain specialist for a physical exam and medical treatment. Some patients may need surgery, so none of these at-home treatments will likely provide you with the pain relief you are looking for.
Contact Our Spine Experts to Discuss Sciatic Nerve Pain
If you are suffering from pain in the sciatic nerve and are looking for the best possible medical treatment to offer pain relief, contact our experts at New York Spine Specialist. Our spine team is committed to providing you with world-class service, and we have extensive knowledge and experience with all types of spinal conditions.
Our friendly and well-trained staff understands that being in pain can be extremely debilitating for you. We strive to alleviate your symptoms and eliminate the causes of sciatica pain. We focus our efforts on creating an uplifting atmosphere for all of our patients and working to make them feel comfortable.
When it comes to our treatments and therapies, we have state-of-the-art facilities and stay up-to-date on the latest innovations in spine health. We understand that going to the doctor is not always a fun experience, but our goal is to ensure that you have as pleasant a visit as possible while working to heal your spine.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment with our spine surgeons at New York Spine Specialist.
