People of any age might suffer from low back pain or sciatic, limiting their range of tasks or activities. In most cases, they are activity intolerant, especially when experiencing chronic pain. Therefore, if you begin feeling numbness, pain, or tingling that originates from the buttocks or lower back that radiates down to the legs and want symptomatic relief, Las Vegas sciatica is the solution to all your concerns. The qualified and experienced orthopedic specialists are double-board certified to provide holistic care. Below is all you are required to know concerning sciatica.
What is sciatica?
Sciatica is due to compression or exertion of pressure on the sciatic nerve found in the lower back. The nerve starts from your lower back and branches to your hips through the buttock down to each lower limb. Generally, sciatica is a medical concern that occurs when a herniated disk on your spine or spinal stenosis exerts pressure on the sciatic nerve. Nerve compression leads to pain, inflammation, and numbness of the affected limb. Most sciatic people experience pain that might be severe but can be alleviated using no-operative treatments within weeks. Similarly, they can also have significant bowel or bladder changes or leg weakness, making them qualify for surgery.
What are the symptoms of sciatica?
Pain radiating from the lower back to the limbs is the most common symptom of sciatica. The severity of your pain might vary from a mild ache to sharp, excruciating, or burning pain. However, the pain can worsen when you sneeze, cough, remain seated or walk for long. Mostly, only one side of your body is altered. Some may experience tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness in the affected limb.
What are some of the causes of sciatica?
Generally, various injuries and medical conditions can irritate your sciatic nerve leading to sciatica. The common cause of sciatica is the presence of a herniated disc in your lower lumbar spine. In other cases, your symptoms can be caused by injuries, infections, lumbar spinal stenosis, tumors, or spondylolisthesis.
Your risk of suffering from sciatica increases when you are in your thirties or forties, even though it can occur at any age. A sedentary lifestyle, obesity, or careers requiring heavy lifting of objects more often can also increase your risk of sciatica. Sciatica mostly happens to even healthy people.
How is sciatica diagnosed?
During your appointment, your health care provider begins by performing a comprehensive physical exam and taking history to help determine the cause of sciatica. He also asks you to do some maneuvers that stretch your sciatic nerve. When these maneuvers trigger your symptoms, he notices a problem with your nerve. Additional diagnostic tests that can be performed to confirm the diagnosis are CT scans, MRIs, and x-rays.
How is sciatica treated?
The treatment option given to you depends on the cause of your sciatica. For instance, you can benefit from physical therapy and spinal injections, which reduce inflammation. And if your symptoms persist after using noninvasive treatments, your care provider may recommend surgery.
Pain from sciatic nerve compression can be severe such that it does not respond to various noninvasive treatments. In this case, you are a good candidate for some surgical procedures like limited discectomy or lumbar laminectomies. Therefore, if you are experiencing persistent sciatic pain and want relief using surgery, you can get started by calling or booking your appointment online at McNulty Spine today.