Q & A
WHAT IS SCIATICA?
Sciatica refers to a combination of painful symptoms that occur in your lower back and travel along your sciatic nerve, causing numbness, weakness, or tingling pain down your leg.
The sciatic nerve is your body’s largest nerve. It’s made up of individual nerve roots that originate in your lower back and then branch out down your legs. Sciatica might point to an underlying condition, such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis.
WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF SCIATICA?
You feel the symptoms of sciatica when your sciatic nerve is irritated close to its point of origin.
Sciatica typically involves one or more of the following symptoms:
- Recurring pain in one side of your buttock or leg
- Pain that intensifies when you sit
- Burning, tingling, or searing leg pain
- Difficulty moving your leg, foot, or toes
- Difficulty standing up or walking
- Pain that reaches down your leg and possibly into your foot and toes
Sciatica symptoms can vary from infrequent and mildly irritating to incessant and debilitating.
WHAT CAUSES SCIATICA?
When your sciatic nerve is pinched, sciatica symptoms occur. Some common causes of sciatica include:
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Bone spurs
- Compression by a tumor
- Complications from diseases (such as diabetes)
These conditions can irritate your sciatic nerve, resulting in the painful symptoms.
HOW DO YOU TREAT SCIATICA?
Dr. Glaser first performs a comprehensive physical exam. It’s essential for him to be familiar with your symptoms and to fully understand your situation to make a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
After making a diagnosis, Glaser Pain Relief Center offers an array of innovative treatment options to relieve your pain.
Dr. Glaser and his team may recommend a combination of treatments, including:
- Lifestyle modifications
- Physical therapy
- Prescribed pain medication
- Spinal cord stimulation therapy
Dr. Glaser offers spinal cord stimulation treatments to address sciatica pain. With the Nevro HF10 Senza® system and HF10™ therapy, he can use high-frequency stimulation, causing a tingling sensation that offsets sciatica pain.
Call or book an appointment online today to set up an initial consultation with Dr. Glaser and his team to develop a customized treatment plan for your sciatica pain.
Sciatica is a complex condition that can be difficult to detect. At Glaser Pain Relief Center in Encino, California, Jeffrey B. Glaser, MD, can diagnose this complicated pain disorder and provide innovative treatment options. As a leading interventional pain management specialist serving patients in San Fernando Valley and the Greater Los Angeles area, Dr. Glaser can help you overcome the painful symptoms associated with sciatica. Call or book an appointment online to learn more.
