Sciatica

Let’s start with a physical exam. From the legs up, we’ll figure out how your pain is distributed — and how to treat it effectively. Think about when lower-back or leg pain started. How severe is it? Does it get worse when you sit or stand? These questions and more will give your care team at AdventHealth a full picture of the cause of your sciatica pain. Your doctor may also perform a neurological exam to test your reflexes and make sure your nervous system is functioning properly.

Your sciatic pain, which may be a whisper on some days and a full-blown trumpet call the next, is a symptom of an underlying condition. Some common causes of sciatic nerve pain include:

• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Herniated Disc
• Muscle Spasms
• Pregnancy
• Spinal Stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis

Once we know the root cause of your sciatica pain, we will develop a tailored care plan to help your find relief. Throughout your sciatica pain treatment, we'll be there to answer your questions and provide the information you need to feel comfortable throughout your recovery.

You want comfort now — but not just for now, for the rest of your life. To help make sure your sciatic nerve pain doesn’t get worse over time, AdventHealth provides immediate relief and long-term solutions. Most cases of sciatic pain call for a combination of non-surgical treatments, like ice, heat, medication, and stretching exercises. Some medication options can include:

• Antidepressants
• Muscle Relaxants for Spasms
• Over-the-Counter Medications Like Aspirin, Acetaminophen, or Naproxen
• Steroid Injections

For more serious sciatica nerve pain, another option is surgery. Trust that we’ll use minimally invasive procedures, whenever possible, to get you back to your life faster. Some surgical options for sciatica pain treatment include:

• Lumbar laminectomy, which relieves pinched nerves caused by spinal stenosis.
• Microdiscectomy, which removes part of a herniated disc and eases pain.

Your options don’t end there. Physical therapy helps you ease back into activity and restore your body to peak form. Our therapists can also teach you exercises to strengthen the muscles surrounding your problem area — and prevent flare-ups of sciatica nerve pain in the future. At every point, we’ll work with you to make sure you’re well on your way to your goal of whole-person wellness now and throughout your life.