Question 1

What is sciatica?

Accepted Answer

Sciatica is any condition that inflames your sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in your body. The sciatic nerve starts in your lower back and branches out and travels down through your buttocks and into your legs.
 
Sciatica is a symptom of some condition that’s irritating this large nerve, resulting in mild to severe pain that radiates throughout your lower body.

Question 2

What causes sciatica?

Accepted Answer

The most common conditions that lead to sciatica are:
 • Herniated discs
 • Degenerative disc disease
 • Arthritis
 • Stenosis
 • Spondylolisthesis
 • Bone spurs
To determine the source of your pain, Dr. Upadhyay does a full exam, often turning to advanced imaging like X-rays and MRI to pinpoint the origin of the pain.

Question 3

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

Accepted Answer

While pain is the most noticeable symptom of sciatica, this pain often varies in intensity and where it’s felt, such as:
 • Pain along one side of your buttocks and your legs
 • Pain in certain positions like sitting
 • Tingling or burning sensations that travel down your leg
 • Sharp pain when you move in specific ways
 • Weakness in your leg
The nature of your pain and where it is can go a long way toward guiding Dr. Upadhyay to the underlying cause.

Question 4

How is sciatica treated?

Accepted Answer

Because sciatica is a symptom, not a primary illness or disease, Dr. Upadhyay first works to diagnose the underlying problem. As a pain management specialist, Dr. Upadhyay offers several effective treatments tailored to your unique situation and goals.
 
Depending on how often you feel your pain and how severe it is, you could benefit from in-office treatments like:
 • Epidurals
 • Pain pumps
 • Spinal cord stimulation
 • Nerve root injections
 • Transforaminal injections
For sciatica that can’t be treated with these therapies, Dr. Upadhyay could recommend minimally invasive procedures. These include no-incision sacroiliac joint fusion surgery, also called a microdiscectomy. This procedure removes portions of a herniated disc to relieve pressure on your sciatic nerve.
 
Dr. Upadhyay also partners with a chiropractor to create a physical therapy plan to treat sciatica pain, reduce inflammation, and take the pressure off your nerves.
If you want the freedom to move again without the pain of sciatica, call Aman Upadhyay, MD, or schedule an appointment online today.

Aman Upadhyay, MD

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