Sciatica Specialist

What is sciatica? 

Sciatica is a form of radiculopathy, a condition caused by nerve compression in your spine. With sciatica, it’s the sciatic nerve in your lower back that’s pinched. This nerve exits from the bottom of your spine and travels into your buttocks. It then divides into two, one branch going down each leg to your foot.

Sciatica develops when your sciatic nerve comes under pressure from the tissues in or around your spine. This pressure could be caused by:

• Herniated or bulging discs
• Lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal in your lower back)
• Spondylolisthesis (a vertebra slips forward onto the disc below it)
• Degenerative disc disease
• Muscle spasms

Sciatica is also a common problem during late pregnancy.

You’re more likely to get sciatica if you’re overweight or inactive. Wearing high-heeled shoes also increases your risk of developing sciatica.

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

Sciatica causes a distinctive stabbing or shooting pain. The pain is likely to get worse when you sit or lie down. It might start in your lower back but is often most severe in the hip or buttock and one leg.

Sciatica can affect both legs but more commonly follows the path of the sciatic nerve down one leg. In addition to back, hip, and leg pain, sciatica can cause:

• Tingling
• Numbness
• Muscle control problems
• Weakness
• Pins-and-needles sensation

Dr. Kaufman can make an initial diagnosis based on your symptoms and a physical exam. He also might want you to have a scan like a CT or MRI to confirm his diagnosis and see the cause of the nerve compression in more detail.

How is sciatica treated?

Dr. Kaufman’s sciatica treatment focuses on relieving the pressure on your sciatic nerve. Some of the treatments that can help with this include:

• Anti-inflammatory medication
• Manual manipulation
• Physical therapy
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
• Stem cell therapy
• Epidural steroid injections
• Facet joint injections
• Nerve blocks
• Radiofrequency ablation (rhizotomy)

Weight loss can help some patients find relief from sciatica.

Combining rest with gentle exercise is more likely to help you recover from sciatica than staying in bed. Once your treatment program relieves the pressure on the sciatic nerve, you should find the symptoms disappear. The sooner you have treatment, the faster your recovery will be.

Call South Florida Interventional Orthopedics and Spine today to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online if you have sciatica symptoms or other back, hip, and leg pain problems.