Sciatica
Radiating pain down one leg can indicate that you have sciatica, or inflammation in your sciatic nerve. Instead of letting this become a chronic condition, resolve your pain with the experienced team at Florida Medical Pain Management. With three convenient locations in St. Petersburg, New Port Richey, and Spring Hill, Florida, the pain management specialists at Florida Medical Pain Management focus on comprehensive, personalized care. Call the office today to see what they can do to help with your sciatica or book your appointment online.
Sciatica Q & A
What are the symptoms of sciatica?
When you have sciatica, you can experience a mild to severe pain that radiates down the back of either leg. Sometimes it starts in your lower back or hip, and, in most cases, it only affects one leg. The pain might also stop in your thigh or reach all the way to your foot.
Sciatica pain can be constant or come and go. It can ache or burn, and sometimes feel like an electric jolt. It can even interfere with walking or running.
Along with pain, you can experience tingling or numbness in your glutes, hips, or legs. Muscle weakness can also accompany the pain.
You could notice that sciatica symptoms worsen after a prolonged period of sitting in one position.
What causes sciatica?
Sciatica and its accompanying pain result when your sciatic nerve becomes pinched. Whether a herniated disc or bone spur causes the compression, sciatica becomes the symptom.
Your sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in your body, exits at the base of your spinal column and travels down both legs. The nerve is as thick as your thumb where it leaves the spine, and it can easily become inflamed by a range of conditions, including:
- Bulging or herniated discs
- Bone spurs and growths on your vertebrae
- Degenerative disc disease
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Piriformis syndrome
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Pregnancy
How do pain specialists treat this condition?
When your sciatica pain is mild or has recently started, your pain specialist will probably suggest at-home treatments. For the first few days of a flare-up, use cold packs several times a day for 20 minutes. After day three, you can use heat to soothe the painful areas.
Because sciatica occurs from nerve compression, stretching can reduce your symptoms and make you feel better. The team at Florida Medical Pain Management often recommends yoga and lower back stretches that you hold for at least 30 seconds.
If the symptoms don’t improve within a few weeks or your sciatic pain becomes severe, your pain management specialist would then prescribe anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants. If more aggressive treatments are necessary, they can administer steroid injections or prescribe physical therapy.
With a variety of available treatments, you don’t have to live with sciatica pain. Call Florida Medical Pain Management today to schedule your initial consultation or book your appointment online.
