Help for Your Sciatica

Oregon offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor fun and relaxation. But if you have sciatica, you may find those opportunities are pretty limited.

That’s because sciatica causes a host of uncomfortable symptoms, from back pain to pain, tingling, and weakness in your legs and buttocks. Worse, without proper medical treatment, those symptoms can become permanent.

At Pacific Sports and Spine, our medical team is focused on advanced interventions aimed at relieving sciatica symptoms, helping every patient enjoy a healthy, pain-free lifestyle. Here’s how we can help you manage your sciatica symptoms and prevent them from happening in the future.

Why sciatica happens

Sciatica gets its name from the sciatic nerve, a major nerve that exits your spine in your lower back. The longest nerve in your body, the sciatic nerve splits into two large branches, with one branch traveling down each leg all the way to your foot.

Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve gets pinched, typically somewhere near the opening where it leaves your spine. Lots of problems can cause sciatic nerve compression, including:

• Repetitive bending or lifting
• Muscle strain
• Degenerative spine problems like arthritis
• Bone spurs
• A herniated or ruptured disc
• Prolonged sitting or standing
• Obesity
• Diabetes

When the nerve is pinched or compressed, signaling along the nerve pathway is also disrupted. That’s why you can experience sciatica symptoms not just in your lower back, but anywhere along the nerve pathway, as well.

Symptoms of sciatica

Often, the first symptom of sciatica is a dull aching in your lower back. Pain can occur all day long, even preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep.

As the condition progresses, you might notice symptoms extending into your buttocks, hips, and legs. In addition to dull, aching pain, sciatica can cause:

• Sharp, electrical-like bursts of pain
• Numbness or tingling in your back, buttocks, or legs
• Knee, foot, or hip pain
• Pins-and-needles sensations in your legs or feet
• Feelings of fatigue in your buttocks or legs
• Weakness or loss of coordination in your legs or feet

Sciatica sometimes resolves on its own. But delaying medical care can allow your symptoms to progress, sometimes resulting in permanent nerve damage and lifelong effects.

Sciatica treatment that works

We can almost always treat sciatica, without the need for surgical intervention. The key is to customize your treatment for your symptoms, your medical history, and even your anatomy.

At Pacific Sports and Spine, we begin each treatment with a comprehensive exam to ensure your management plan is targeted to your specific needs. Depending on your symptoms and other factors, your treatment might include:

• Oral medication to relieve pain and inflammation
• Injections to block pain and relax muscles
• Medication to calm overactive nerves
• Physical therapy to improve back strength and flexibility
• Ice and heat therapy
• Lifestyle medications

Most of our patients benefit from a combination of therapies, adjusted over time as needed.

We typically reserve surgery for patients who don’t respond to conservative treatment options, including some patients with ruptured discs or certain degenerative conditions.

Find relief for your sciatica symptoms

Sciatica pain can take a big toll on your life, but the good news is, there are plenty of treatment options that can help you feel better. 

To learn how our team uses advanced interventional techniques to relieve sciatica symptoms, call our Eugene, Oregon, office or book a consultation online today.