How To Get Relief for Your Sciatica

Whether it’s your first experience with sciatica or you’ve struggled with the painful condition before, you know that finding relief from this type of discomfort is a top priority.

Thankfully, our team here at Commonwealth Pain & Spine has the same priority, which is why we’re focusing on sciatica here.

In the following, we explore the causes of sciatica and, more importantly, how we can get you back to pain-free living.

A pain in the back and so much more

Your sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body and it starts in your lower back and then branches out and travels down the backs of your buttocks and legs.

When the nerve is compromised, irritated, or pinched at its roots, it can lead to localized pain in your lower back as well as symptoms that travel down one side of the nerve (down one leg). 

The primary symptom of sciatica is pain, which may only occur with certain movements or remain constant. Alongside the pain, you may also feel:

• Numbness and tingling in your leg
• Muscle weakness in your leg

Sometimes these symptoms can combine and you may feel different sensations in your lower extremities (pain and numbness in different areas, for example).

How sciatica develops

In most cases, sciatica is the result of a problem with one of your intervertebral discs, mainly one that’s bulging or herniated. When material from the disc escapes from its space, it can irritate the sensitive nerve roots that branch out from your spine, including your sciatic nerve.

In most cases, a herniated disc is the result of degenerative disc disease, but the following conditions may also lead to sciatica:

• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Facet joint dysfunction
• Spinal tumors
• Muscle spasms
• Trauma to your lower back

Whatever the cause of your sciatica, the end result places serious limitations on your life as you struggle to move without discomfort.

Finding relief for your sciatica

The good news is that we can easily treat sciatica together. 

To get started, you can do your part at home by stretching your lower back to help ease the pressure on your nerve. You can also apply hot and cold therapies to help control the inflammation and soothe the pain, as well as take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications.

If this type of at-home treatment isn’t bringing you relief, we urge you to come in so that we can take a look. We offer several different treatments, including epidural steroid injections and prescription medications (please note that surgery is rarely required to resolve sciatica).

Ultimately, between your ongoing efforts at home and our intervention here, we can get you back on your feet and moving without issue as quickly as possible.

If you’d like to get relief from your sciatica pain, contact one of our 12 locations in St. Matthews, Elizabethtown, Lexington, Crestview Hills, Owensboro, and London, Kentucky; Evansville, Vincennes, New Albany, Carrollton, and Jasper, Indiana; and Mt. Carmel, Illinois, to set up an appointment.