Sciatica

Sciatica pain tends to shoot down one leg from your lower back and is often breathtakingly intense. If you have sciatica, orthopedic surgeon Robert H. Cho, MD, with offices in Beverly Hills and the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, can help. Dr. Cho specializes in resolving conditions like sciatica by addressing the underlying cause, which could involve surgery to relieve pressure on your sciatic nerve. To find the sciatica treatment that works for you, call the office or request an appointment online today. 

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a painful musculoskeletal condition caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. This nerve, the longest in your body, starts in your lower spine. The nerve splits in your pelvis, with a branch going through each buttock and down the backs of your legs to your feet.

If anything rubs on or presses against the sciatic nerve, it can cause pain and other symptoms that may spread from your lower back all the way to your foot. Sciatica may be acute, lasting just a few weeks, or chronic, persisting for more than three months.

What causes sciatica?

Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Medical conditions that can lead to the development of sciatica include:

• Herniated discs
• Lumbar spinal stenosis
• Piriformis syndrome
• Spondylolisthesis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Arthritis and bone spurs
• Diabetes
• Tumors
• Trauma

Anyone could develop sciatica, but certain factors increase your chances, such as being older, being physically unfit, or having a poor diet.

Your job might increase your risk, and if other members of your family have sciatica, you're more likely to get it too. Being a smoker doesn't help with spine health, and chronic conditions like diabetes or cancer that have spread to your spine could also increase your risk of sciatica.

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

Sciatica is typically painful, although the degree of pain you experience varies from mild to disabling, depending on the extent of your sciatic nerve damage. Sciatica pain spreads into your buttock and leg and is likely to be intense, sharp, and shooting.

You might also experience weakness, numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in your leg or foot. Sciatica pain tends to worsen when you cough or sneeze, bend backward, or sit or stand for prolonged periods.

Dr. Cho diagnoses sciatica by performing a physical examination, reviewing your medical history, and assessing neuromuscular functions. 

Diagnostic procedures you might need include X-rays, an MRI, a CT scan, or a CT scan with myelogram. An electromyogram (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test may also be necessary.

How is sciatica treated?

In most cases, sciatica resolves itself within a couple of weeks or months and rarely leads to permanent nerve damage. Initial treatments may include conservative approaches such as:

• Physical exercises
• Over-the-counter drugs
• Ice or hot packs
• Prescription medications
• Epidural steroid injections
• Therapeutic massage
• Manual manipulation

If these methods aren't relieving your symptoms, Dr. Cho might need to perform surgery to treat the underlying condition. This could involve procedures such as spinal decompression, discectomy and fusion, or artificial disc replacement.

To find relief from sciatica, schedule an appointment with Robert H. Cho, MD. Call the office or request an appointment online today.