Stop Letting Sciatica Ruin Your Spring Activities

For many people, sciatica feels like a way of life after a while, especially if they can’t find proper treatment. Unfortunately, sciatica is often underdiagnosed or undertreated, and pain persists.

When this condition flares up, it can cause you to miss out on activities you enjoy, such as gardening or travel. Chronic sciatica can last months or years and cause loss of mobility and depression.

There’s no need to spend a significant portion of your days in pain. At New Jersey Advanced Pain Management Center in Hackettstown, New Jersey, and Matamoras, Pennsylvania, Ajay Kumar, MD, and our team provide diagnosis and effective treatment options for acute and chronic back pain conditions like sciatica.

Sciatica basics

Sciatica is caused by injury, compression, or irritation of your sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve branches off from the spinal column and runs down through the pelvis, buttock and leg on each side of your body. Compression can happen in the lower back, caused by inflammation of surrounding tissues, narrowing of the spinal canal, or herniation or degeneration of spinal discs. 

Symptoms of sciatica can include:

• Pain in the back, hip, pelvis, or leg
• Tingling or burning sensations
• Numbness in the leg or foot
• Weakness in the leg
• Loss of bladder or bowel control

Of these symptoms, any can be a reason to seek the help of a spine specialist. The final symptom should spur a trip to the emergency room to avoid serious complications like cauda equina (horse’s tail) that could curtail spring activities for even longer.

There are two types of sciatica. True sciatica is caused by an injury or condition directly affecting your sciatic nerve. Sciatica-like conditions happen when there is damage to nearby nerves or the groups of nerves that come together from higher in the back and form the sciatic nerve. The type you struggle with determines Dr. Kumar’s approach to your treatment.

Sciatica treatment

Treatments for sciatica range from conservative to surgical. Anti-inflammatory medications and corticosteroid injections are the first avenue of treatment. Often, the right combination of pain relievers can reduce the irritation and get you back to your favorite spring activities.

For people with sciatica that’s resistant to treatment and chronic, Dr. Kumar may prescribe stronger pain medications and physical therapy. Spinal cord stimulation disrupts pain signals from the nerves to the brain, alleviating pain symptoms. Surgery is typically considered only in cases where bone spurs are pressing on the nerve.

Targeted relief with epidural injections

For many of our patients, epidural steroid injections serve as a highly effective bridge between conservative care and more invasive options. During this procedure, Dr. Kumar delivers anti-inflammatory medication directly into the epidural space surrounding the compressed spinal nerves.

By targeting the exact source of the irritation, these injections can significantly reduce swelling and "quiet" the inflamed nerve. This often provides a window of relief that allows you to participate more fully in physical therapy and return to your favorite spring hobbies with much greater comfort.

Is sciatica making your spring activity outlook seem gloomy? If you need help with your back pain, contact New Jersey Advanced Pain Management Center today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kumar and our team.