Sciatica

What is sciatica?

Sciatica refers to the symptoms relating to the sciatic nerve being damaged, irritated, or inflamed. The sciatic nerve branches from your lower back through your hips, buttocks, and down each leg.

Causes

The nerve irritation and inflammation that leads to sciatica is often related to a herniated disc, bone spur, or narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses the nerve as it exits the spine. Other conditions such as diabetic neuropathy may also cause nerve damage that leads to sciatica. Certain habits and conditions increase your risk of developing sciatica, which may include:

  • Age-related changes in the spine, such as herniated discs
  • Obesity, which increases stress on your spine
  • An occupation that requires you to carry heavy loads or drive a motor vehicle for long periods
  • Prolonged sitting or a sedentary lifestyle
  • Diabetes, which increases your risk of nerve damage

Symptoms and Additional Information

  • Pain radiating from your lower back to your buttock and down the back of your thigh and calf
  • Numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the affected leg or foot
  • Sharp, burning pain that may feel like an electric shock
  • Sciatica usually occurs on one side of the body but can affect both and may occur anywhere along the nerve from your lower back through your hips, buttocks, and down each leg. Sciatica symptoms can vary in intensity from mild to severe and may even feel constantly present. Sometimes sciatica causes pain in one part of your leg and numbness in another. It can also create difficulty controlling your bowels or bladder.

Treatment

The medical team at Neuropathy and Pain Solutions will perform a physical exam that includes a careful review of your symptoms and diagnostic studies to identify the issue. Our medical team will then work with you to develop a customized treatment plan to address your symptoms and the underlying cause.

The treatment plan may include Electric Cell Signaling Treatment (EST), a non-surgical treatment. A treatment in which, they apply carefully controlled electrical signals to the affected region which targets and helps soothe the damaged nerves. EST has a high efficacy rate, providing significant relief for up to 87% of patients who undergo the therapy. This innovative treatment provides significant reduction of nerve symptoms for patients. This FDA cleared treatment could eliminate the need for pain medication as it restores your mobility and overall function. At Neuropathy and Pain Solutions, we want to work with your body to get to the source of the pain, not cover up the pain.