Sciatica

Sciatica (or lumbar radiculopathy) is a condition whose most striking symptom is a shooting pain that travels through your buttock or hip into one leg. The pain might go all the way to your foot in some cases, as it's following the path taken by the sciatic nerve.

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This large nerve originates in your lumbar spine (lower back), dividing into two as it goes into your pelvic area. Each branch of the nerve then continues down the leg to your foot. If anything presses on the nerve's root or it gets damaged, it can cause sciatica.

The nerve pressure that triggers sciatica can happen as a result of an acute back injury. However, it’s often due to spinal stenosis or conditions that can lead to spinal stenosis, like degenerative disc disease and disc herniation.

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Stenosis means narrowing, which in the spine occurs when there are changes in the bones, discs, or ligaments that reduce the space inside your spinal canal. Degenerative disc disease is often the root cause, where the discs that fit between the vertebrae get drier and thinner.

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Degenerative disc disease is chiefly a result of aging and may not cause any back pain. However, if a disc ruptures because its casing is weak, the inner jelly can push through and press on the sciatic nerve. The result is sciatica.

The treatment you receive at Richmond Spine Interventions and Pain Center aims to relieve the pressure on your sciatic nerve and thereby reduce your pain.

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To begin with, the team uses conservative approaches such as medication and physical therapy, which can make a significant difference to most patients. In some cases, patients find it difficult to take part in their physical therapy exercise because of their pain.

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If this happens or your symptoms aren't improving with the more conservative methods, Richmond Spine Interventions and Pain Center offers several alternatives.

One of the most effective treatment choices for sciatica is spinal injections that contain a steroid medication and a local anesthetic. The steroid is a long-acting anti-inflammatory that eases pain over the long term, while the anesthetic gives you a short period of profound pain relief.

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A single injection can make it possible for you to participate in physical therapy, or you might require several injections at intervals to address the most persistent symptoms.

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If you have shooting leg pain because of sciatica, find relief by calling Richmond Spine Interventions and Pain Center today, or book an appointment online.