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There are many sciatica treatments, and each one can work. However, the most effective one varies for each person. Learn about the range of sciatica treatments and the variables affecting their ability to improve your symptoms.
Your sciatica may heal with conservative care that gives the underlying inflammation or spine problem time to heal.
Or, your sciatica may not improve until you have surgery to repair the underlying condition. However, there are many effective treatments to try before considering surgery.
The truth is that the effectiveness of any treatment depends on each person’s unique circumstances and health. That’s why seeking help from the highly experienced Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care team in Hobart, LaPorte, Munster, Valparaiso, and Merrillville, Indiana, is crucial.
Our team has helped many patients overcome sciatica, using our expertise in numerous therapies to create customized care plans.
Variables influencing effectiveness
Individual risk factors influence treatment effectiveness. The severity or extent of each factor determines the best treatment and whether it will improve your sciatica.
For example, conservative therapies have a better chance of being effective if you have minimal spine damage, your overall health is good, and you have mild to moderate symptoms.
The variables associated with treatment effectiveness include:
- Physical stress on your spine (due to work, hobbies, athletics, and other activities)
- Underlying cause (some conditions have a better chance of healing)
- Symptom severity
- How long you’ve had symptoms
- Extent of spinal inflammation
- Extent of spinal damage (like nerve compression)
- Overall health
- Whether you smoke
- Whether you’re overweight or obese
- Your age (healing slows as you age)
The more variables you have, the more they limit the effectiveness of your sciatica treatment.
Sciatica causes
Sciatica refers to specific symptoms that occur when the sciatic nerve is inflamed or pinched. The primary symptoms include lower back pain, a sudden, sharp pain shooting down one leg, and leg tingling or numbness.
The conditions that frequently cause sciatica include:
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD)
- Bone spurs
- Thickened ligaments
- Facet joint arthritis
- Spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebra)
- Radiculopathy (pinched nerve root)
A herniated disc is the culprit in 90% of all cases of sciatica. That’s good news because herniated discs may heal with conservative treatment.
The other conditions in this list won’t heal on their own. However, conservative therapies may effectively ease your pain even if they can’t heal the cause.
Treatment choices
Sciatic treatment begins with the most conservative (least invasive) therapy appropriate for your unique spine problem and health. Every treatment at each level of care has the potential to be effective.
Let’s explore the three levels:
1. Conservative treatment
Many years ago, people went on bed rest to ease lower back and sciatica pain. Now, we know that inactivity only worsens your symptoms and outcomes. While you may need to avoid intense activities, it’s crucial to keep moving.
Conservative treatments include:
- Ice and heat
- Stretching
- Walking
- Physical therapy and/or an exercise regimen
- Therapeutic massage
- Over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory medications (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin)
- Prescription medications (muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory meds)
- Corticosteroid joint injections
One or more of these treatments may effectively ease sciatica for many people. If they don’t help, we recommend interventional therapies for the next level of care.
2. Interventional treatments
Interventional treatments ease sciatica by reducing inflammation and blocking pain signals. As experts in pain medicine and interventional procedures, we may recommend several possible treatments. Here are a few examples:
Nerve blocks
A nerve block is an injection containing a local anesthetic (alone or with a corticosteroid) around the sciatic nerve. The anesthetic blocks pain signals, while the corticosteroid reduces inflammation.
Epidural steroid injection
This is similar to a nerve block, except the injection goes into the epidural space surrounding your spine. Once the medication enters the epidural space, it can flow around several nerve roots, increasing its effectiveness.
Radiofrequency ablation
During radiofrequency (RF) ablation, we use a needle-like device to precisely deliver RF energy into a specific nerve. The heat creates a wound that blocks nerve signals. RF ablation lasts until the nerve heals, which can take 6-9 months or longer.
3. Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS)
When your pain persists despite the first two levels of care, we may recommend one of several minimally invasive techniques to repair the underlying problem.
For example, you may need a discectomy to repair a herniated disc, spinal decompression to take pressure off the pinched nerve, or a spinal fusion.
Expert sciatica treatment
Call Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care or use the online form to request an appointment today to learn about the best treatment for your sciatica.