Are you feeling a strange ache in your lower back that reaches down to your hips, butt, and legs? Specialists at Spine Center of Texas suggest that you could be experiencing sciatica.
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve that runs from the lower back, butt, and leg down to the feet gets irritated or compressed. This usually happens when there is a herniated disc or bone spur on the spine that puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. This will cause the sciatic nerve to become inflamed, resulting in mild or severe pain and numbness. Sciatica typically affects only one side of the body. Some patients experience leg cramps, low backache, muscle tingling and weakness, or numbness along the sciatic nerve path. When a person sits for long periods of time, sciatica symptoms may become aggravated.
Fortunately, most sciatica cases can be treated with conservative treatments, such as oral medication, steroid injection, or physical therapy. If a person experiences severe sciatic pain that lasts longer than three months, spinal surgery, including minimally invasive laminectomy, discectomy, or microdiscectomy, may be suggested in order to relieve the pressure on the nerve. These surgical procedures remove the herniated disc tissue that is pressing against the sciatic nerve. Minimally invasive surgery is accomplished nowadays using tiny incisions that minimize risk and speed up healing time. If you’re currently experiencing symptoms of sciatica, contact Spine Center of Texas and schedule a consultation with one of our spine specialists.
