2. What is “sciatica”? Sciatica is a term used to refer to a
group of symptoms that arise when the sciatic nerve is
compressed. These symptoms can include shooting
pain, numbness, muscle weakness, and parasthesia
(tingling) in the lower
back, buttocks, hips, legs, feet, and/or toes.
There are a variety of spinal conditions that can lead to
sciatica, the most common being herniated
discs, bulging discs, bone spurs, spinal stenosis, and
spondylolisthesis. These are all anatomical
abnormalities that can develop due to age-related
degeneration, injuries, genetics, overexertion, poor
posture, or other various causes.
3. Can Sciatica Be Prevented?
Is there anything I can do to prevent sciatica? Sciatica cannot be prevented per se.
For instance, if someone has a family history of sciatica, he or she may develop the
condition no matter how closely they pay attention to maintaining the health of
their spine. However, there are a variety of ways that you can maintain spinal
strength and stability in order to lower the risk of premature degeneration and
related conditions like sciatica.
Risk factors to avoid include:
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Poor diet
• High-impact exercise
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Repetitive stress activities
• A sedentary lifestyle
4. Getting a Sciatica Diagnosis
If you are experiencing symptoms and you think they may
actually be sciatica, schedule a consultation with your
primary care physician for a physical exam and a review of
your symptoms. Your physician will likely ask you what
kinds of symptoms you have been experiencing, so try to
describe them in as much detail as possible. He or she may
also order medical imaging tests like an X-ray, MRI, or CT
scan to get a detailed view of the spinal column and any
anatomical abnormalities that may be present. Sciatica can
usually be diagnosed by a primary care physician, though in
some cases you may be referred to a spine specialist for a
second opinion.
5. Conservative Sciatica Treatments
The good news is that sciatica is fairly common and can usually be managed with a
regimen of conservative (nonsurgical) treatments. Once a diagnosis has been
confirmed by your physician, you can begin an appropriate treatment plan that may
include pain medication, physical therapy, hot compresses, ice packs, stretching, mild
exercise, or behavior modification. Corticosteroid injections, transcutaneous electrical
nerve stimulation, analgesic pain patches, or ultrasound therapy may also be options if
other treatments prove ineffective.
The goals of conservative treatment are:
• Relieve the symptoms associated with nerve compression
• Learn to avoid behaviors that exacerbate or trigger symptoms
• Maintain/improve the health and strength of the spine so as to support stability
and mobility
• Avoid the need for surgery
6. Alternative Treatments
Alternative treatments may also offer some relief from
the symptoms of sciatica, though the efficacy of these
therapies is continuously debated among medical
professionals. Integrating alternative treatments
like yoga, acupuncunture,
acupressure, massage, homeopathic
remedies, or dietary /herbal
supplements into your prescribed
treatment plan is something you
should discuss thoroughly with
your physician.
7. Sciatica Surgery
Only in rare cases is surgery necessary for sciatica. It should be reserved for
patients whose quality of life is severely compromised and whose symptoms
do not respond to nonsurgical treatments.
Sciatica surgery will be aimed at relieving pressure being placed on the sciatic
nerve by disc material, bone spurs, enlarged ligaments, or displaced
vertebrae. Both laser spine surgery and open spine surgery are available for
the treatment of this degenerative spine condition, though a variety of factors
will go into determining which type of procedure is best for each patient.
Regardless, you should keep in mind that surgery should almost always be
considered as a last resort for the treatment of sciatica. Speak with multiple
surgeons and spine specialists before making a final decision and be sure that
you have tried a comprehensive range of conservative treatments first.
