Sciatica Specialist

What is sciatica?

Sciatica, or lumbar radiculopathy, is pain that moves along the path of your sciatic nerve. That long nerve starts in the lower back and then branches off to move down each leg. 

Sciatica is the most common type of radiculopathy (pinched nerve), but you can also experience cervical radiculopathy, which causes the same symptoms as sciatica but happens in the neck and arms. 

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

Sciatica pain starts in the lower back and travels into your buttock and leg, usually stopping in the knee area. The pain can vary, from mild to very sharp. Some people experience burning or electrical type pain. 

You may notice a sudden bout of shooting pain when you sneeze, cough, or lift a heavy load. Sometimes, sciatica may make it hard to walk normally.

Additionally, sciatica can cause numbness, weakness, slowed reflexes, and uncomfortable tingling in your leg, foot, or toes. Sciatica only affects one side of the body in most cases. 

What causes sciatica?

Sciatica happens when changes or problems in your spine exert pressure on your sciatic nerve. Many different conditions and issues can cause or contribute to sciatica, with the most common including:

• Disc herniation
• Bone spurs
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Spinal cord injury
• Piriformis syndrome
• Spinal tumors

You’re more likely to develop sciatica if you have diabetes, struggle with your weight, lack strong core muscles, lead a sedentary lifestyle, or frequently lift heavy weights.

How is sciatica treated?

Sciatica treatment depends on the root cause of your pain and your symptom severity. The initial treatment approach generally combines physical therapy with lifestyle changes and short-term pain relievers.

For persistent sciatica, the Total Spine Institute team may recommend options such as ultrasound-guided steroid and anesthetic injections or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment. 

For some causes of sciatica, minimally invasive surgery or robotic-assisted surgery may be the best path to lasting pain relief. Total Spine Institute emphasizes advanced approaches with long-lasting results, such as the Vertiflex™ Procedure Superion™ Indirect Decompression System, the Coflex® Interlaminar Stabilization® device, and the newest artificial spinal discs.

If you have ongoing lower back pain, the spine care experts at Total Spine Institute can help. Book your appointment online or call the office nearest to you to learn about the latest sciatica treatments.