Lumbar radiculopathy, also commonly known as sciatica, is a condition that may develop when the spinal nerve root is compressed. When this occurs, you may experience pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, and loss of your reflexes in your lower back and leg or foot.
Conditions such as lumbar disc herniation, spinal stenosis, osteophyte formation, spondylolisthesis, foraminal stenosis, or other degenerative disorders may cause the spinal nerve roots to become compressed.
If you or a loved one are suffering from pain caused by sciatica, you can rely on our team at Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) Interventional Pain Medicine to help you find relief.
What are the symptoms of sciatica?
When the sciatic nerve is compressed, it can cause painful symptoms that range in severity. Some common symptoms of sciatica may include:
- Burning or electric shock-like pain
- Tingling or numbness in the limbs
- Shooting pain down the leg
- Weakened leg muscles
- Incontinence in some extreme cases
What causes sciatica?
Sciatica is most commonly caused by conditions that affect the sciatic nerve, but can also occur due to spinal injuries. Some common causes of sciatica may include:
- Herniated disc
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Spinal injuries
- Tumors or growths around the spine
- Pregnancy
Who’s at risk for sciatica?
While anyone can develop sciatica for a variety of reasons, there are some people who are at a higher risk than others. Some risk factors may include:
- Aging and age-related conditions
- Suffering from another spinal condition
- Experiencing an accident or injury
- Being heavy-chested
- Poor core strength
- Living a sedentary lifestyle
- Having a physically demanding job
- Type 2 diabetes
- Smoking
How is sciatica diagnosed?
Sciatica is usually diagnosed with a combination of medical history, reported symptoms and physical examination. Your provider may ask you to perform a few different tests to confirm your sciatica diagnosis. These tests may include:
- Lasegue’s sign test: This test involves laying on your back and raising a leg straight upward. If radiating pain occurs down the leg, you likely have sciatica.
- Walking test: Your provider may ask you to walk back and forth to check for signs of sciatic damage.
- Muscle and reflex tests: To determine the amount of damage your sciatica has caused; your provider may perform muscle strength and reflex tests.
In addition to these tests, your provider may want you to get imaging tests such as an MRI or CT scan to determine if there is an underlying condition causing your sciatica.
How is sciatica treated?
NGPG Interventional Pain Medicine providers will work with your entire care team and other providers, such as your orthopedist and orthopedic surgeon, to develop a custom treatment plan for you. Some treatments for lumbar radiculopathy (sciatica) that we offer include:
Medications
Over the counter and prescription anti-inflammatory medications can reduce swelling and eliminate pain. Some common medications used to treat sciatica symptoms may include:
- Pain medications: If over the counter pain relievers don’t work, our physicians may prescribe stronger options.
- Anti-inflammatory medications: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications can help relieve pain and reduce swelling.
- Muscle relaxants: Muscle relaxants can help reduce muscle spasms and decrease tension that often cause pain.
Injections
- Epidural steroid injection: Epidural steroid injections can relieve acute pain and swelling and reduce the need for more invasive treatments.
- Nerve root injections: A nerve root injection can reduce swelling and severe pain that may radiate down to the legs and feet.
- Nerve block: This treatment involves the injection of an anesthetic (numbing agent) or other medication directly into the sciatic nerve, stopping pain.
Choose NGPG for Sciatica (Lumbar Radiculopathy) Treatment
At NGPG we understand how sciatic pain can be debilitating and affect your day-to-day life. If you or a loved one are experiencing back or leg pain caused by sciatica, you can rely on our team at NGPG Interventional Pain Medicine to provide you with advanced and effective options for pain management.
Our team of providers are dedicated to treating acute and chronic pain caused by conditions like sciatica. With our board certified physicians and access to the latest advancements in pain management, NGPG Interventional Pain Medicine provides the care you need to get back to your life pain-free.