Sciatica Overview
Sciatica is a condition in which the patient experiences leg pain. The pain can feel like a bad leg cramp or it can feel excruciating. The patient can also feel shooting pain that makes even the act of standing or sitting nearly impossible. Spine Physicians Institute can successfully treat this condition.
It is possible for the pain to be worse when you sit, sneeze or cough. There is not set circumstances for its onset. Sciatica can occur suddenly or develop overtime. The patient might feel weakness, numbness, or a burning or tingling sensation down their leg, possibly even in the toes. The less commonly occurring symptom is the inability to bend the knee or even moving of the foot and toes.
Causes
The common causes of Sciatica are;
- A herniated or slipped disc that can cause pressure on a nerve root.
- Spinal stenosis. This condition results from narrowing of the spinal canal with pressure on the nerves.
- Spondylolisthesis. One Vertebra slips so that it is out of line with the one above it. It causes the nerves within spinal canal or the openings through which nerves exit to impinge.
Diagnosis
Sciatica can be diagnosed through various tests. X-ray, CT scan or MRI are usually used in diagnosis. Spondylolistheses is diagnosed by noting the forward position of one vertebral body on another.
Schedule a Consultation
Treatment
Non-surgical therapies, such as medication, rest and physical therapy is recommended in mild cases. Especially the cases where there is no sign of significant nerve compression or neurological impairment. Bracing or epidural steroid injections might also be considered.
Surgical option is only considered by the physicians after conservative therapies fail to properly relieve symptoms.
Surgical Options
Following surgical procedures may be considered for treatment of sciatica;
- Spinal decompression or laminectomy. The bone along with offending ligamentum flavum is removed to relieve compression on the nerves in this procedure.
- Spinal fusion. This procedure requires a bone graft along with instrumentation. It is placed between vertebrae to fuse together and is generally reserved for patients who have instability, or spondylolisthesis.
For more questions, contact our offices located in Dallas, Irving, Red Oak, Plano, Southlake, Grapevine, Colleyville and Duncanville marketplaces.