If sciatica pain makes everyday tasks unbearable, the team of board-certified doctors at Pain Doctor NY in Midtown East, Manhattan, can help. They take a holistic approach to pain management to ease discomfort and improve your quality of life, so you can enjoy your favorite activities once again. Call the New York City office to learn more about sciatica treatment options or schedule an appointment online today.

Sciatica

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is pain associated with your sciatic nerve, which is a large nerve in your body that helps controls muscles in your back and legs. It provides feeling in your feet, lower legs, and thighs. Sciatica pain often presents as:

  • Pain that radiates from your spine to one leg
  • Discomfort along your sciatic nerve pathway
  • Mild, aching pain
  • Sharp, burning pain
  • An electric shock
  • Pain with prolonged sitting
  • Pain on just one side of your body
  • Numbness, weakness, or tingling in your leg or foot

Sciatica pain can be long-lasting, but seeking treatment with Pain Doctor NY can ease symptoms and restore your quality of life.

What are the risk factors for sciatica?

Sciatica pain can occur when your sciatic nerve gets pinched by a herniated spinal disk or bone overgrowth in your vertebrae. Sometimes complications of diabetes or compression from a tumor can pinch your sciatic nerve and cause pain associated with it. 

Factors that increase your risk of sciatica include:

  • Older age and wear and tear of your spine
  • Prolonged sitting or being sedentary
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Improper heavy lifting techniques

You might recover from sciatica on your own without treatment, but if not, long-lasting sciatica may cause permanent nerve damage. That’s why seeking help from a pain management physician is important to maximize your health and quality of life.

What is the treatment for sciatica?

Your pain management physician reviews your medical history and symptoms and completes a physical exam to check muscle reflexes and strength. They may order imaging tests to look for bone spurs or herniated disks to determine which sciatica treatment option is right for you. 

Examples include:

  • Heat or ice therapy
  • Medications
  • Physical therapy
  • Steroid injections
  • Chiropractic adjustments
  • Acupuncture
  • Surgery in severe cases

Your physician recommends the least invasive, most holistic sciatica treatment first, but understands the importance of more invasive options if necessary. They personalize your sciatica treatment plan to best match your unique needs.

Can I prevent sciatica?

You can’t always prevent sciatica from occurring, but taking certain precautions might lower your risk of developing it:

  • Get regular exercise
  • Maintain a healthy body weight
  • Maintain proper posture
  • Avoid sitting for prolonged time periods
  • Use proper lifting techniques
  • Properly manage diabetes 

If sciatica is long-lasting and prevents you from enjoying normal everyday activities, call Pain Doctor NY for an evaluation today, or use the online scheduler.