Relief for Your Sciatic Nerve Pain

Is your lower back pain getting worse? Do you have a painful, burning sensation moving down one of your legs? It may be difficult to sit for long periods of time. You likely have sciatica, a painful condition resulting from compression of your sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in your body, running from your lower back all the way down your legs. Without treatment, the pain can worsen. 

The expert staff at Apollo Pain Management in Sun City Center, Florida, treats many cases of sciatica. They understand its root causes and can correctly diagnose and treat your pain, bringing you welcome relief. 

What causes sciatica? 

A number of back conditions can cause compression of your sciatic nerve. A bulging or herniated disc can compress the nerve. Wear and tear on the discs or bones in your spinal cord can cause spondylolisthesis, when one bone moves forward over another. You may have spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal that can irritate or pinch the sciatic nerve. 

Heavy manual work over extended time periods can result in sciatica. Genetics can be a culprit, too. In addition, if you’re overweight, the extra weight puts pressure on your spine and can eventually lead to sciatica. 

Effective treatment for sciatica

Our caring staff promptly diagnoses your condition and develops a treatment plan. 

Medication 

Depending on what is causing your sciatica and what medications you’re able to take, we can prescribe a medication that helps relieve your pain. We may prescribe an anti-inflammatory, a muscle relaxant, or an anti-seizure medication. 

Epidural injection

An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a standard sciatica treatment. The steroid is an anti-inflammatory medication injected into a space in your spinal cord near the compressed nerve. 

You’ll be sedated, and the area around the injection will be numbed so you won’t feel discomfort during the procedure, which takes from 10 to 30 minutes. The injection is guided via real-time imaging that places the medication in the best spot for your pain relief.  

Physical therapy 

Our staff may recommend physical therapy. Therapy can increase muscle strength in your back. This helps support your spine, keeping it stable. Your therapist will instruct you in exercises that stretch the nerve, helping to bring nutrients to the tissues surrounding it and reducing nerve stiffness. 

If your posture is poor, it may have contributed to nerve compression in your spinal cord. Therapy helps you learn correct posture and increases your mobility and flexibility. 

You can arrange an appointment with Apollo Pain Management through your primary care physician. We’re your partner in pain management.