Are You Suffering from Sciatica Pain? We Have Solutions

Sciatica is a common form of back pain, distinguished by the involvement of the sciatic nerves.

You have two sciatic nerves—one on each side of your lower body. Each begins in your lower spine and travels through each buttock, down each leg, and into the heels and soles of your feet. This lengthy path from your lower back to your feet makes the sciatic nerves the longest nerve in your body.

When you have sciatica, one of the sciatic nerves becomes inflamed, irritated, or compressed in the lower back. This triggers the hallmark sciatica symptoms that radiate along the affected nerve, such as:

• Sharp, aching, burning, or jolts of pain 
• Numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness in the leg or foot
• Pain that worsens with sneezing, coughing, or long periods of sitting
• Bladder or bowel changes

Sciatica can sometimes interfere with sleep and daily life, but there are ways to find relief. The experienced board-certified physicians and nurse practitioners at The Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care offer the latest treatments for alleviating sciatica pain, improving mobility, and restoring an optimal quality of life.

Each patient receives an individualized treatment plan that may include one or more of the following: 

Medication, rest, and physical therapy

Our team always starts with the most conservative approaches for mild sciatica. That usually means some combination of pain or anti-inflammatory medication, rest, stretching, and physical therapy.

These methods should reduce pain and inflammation while helping prevent future problems by correcting postural issues, improving flexibility, and increasing strength in the muscles supporting your back. 

Injection therapy

If first-line treatment is ineffective,  your provider may recommend injection therapy. The practice offers 

several types of injections, including:

• Sacroiliac (SI) joint injections
• Epidural injections
• Interlaminar epidural injections
• Transforaminal epidural injections
• Medial branch blocks
• Trigger point injections
• Nonsteroidal injections

While each injection differs, all involve delivering specific types of medication directly into the area, triggering sciatica symptoms. This targeted approach relieves irritation, inflammation, and pain where you need it most — the source.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)

If you have chronic symptoms that don’t respond to more conservative treatments, radiofrequency ablation may be the answer. 

Like injection therapy, RFA also targets the source of your nerve pain. However, it doesn’t rely on medications. Instead, it turns off the nerve tissue with radio waves.

During RFA, your provider inserts a thin needle into your lower back near the targeted nerve tissue. Once in place, we ablate it, exposing it to heat to disable it. This process stops the targeted nerve tissue from sending pain signals to the brain, thus relieving your sciatica symptoms.

The Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care is a complete one-stop-shop for patients affected by painful musculoskeletal conditions such as back and joint pain, uterine fibroids, and vein disorders such as varicose veins. A highly qualified physician always administers your consultation, examination, and treatment. 

The practice has five convenient locations throughout Northwest Indiana: Hobart, LaPorte, Merrillville, Munster, and Valparaiso. Take control of your sciatica pain today. Book an appointment with the Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care experts. Call the closest location or request an appointment via the online tool.