Sciatica is usually easy to recognize because it causes severe pain that suddenly shoots down one leg. If you struggle with sciatica, it’s time to turn to Peter Fernandez, MD, and Amanda Fernandez, DPT, MPH, CSCS, at Sunshine Spine and Pain Specialists, PLLC, in Sarasota, Florida. They have extensive experience in interventional, regenerative, and physical medicine, allowing them to provide personalized care that effectively eases your pain and improves mobility. To schedule an appointment, call the office or request one online today.
Sciatica refers to the symptoms that occur if your sciatic nerve is pinched. The sciatic nerves leave your spinal cord in your lower back and travel down both sides of your body, going through your buttocks and legs all the way to your feet.
If a problem in your lower back (lumbar spine) compresses the nerve, pain and other symptoms go through the nerve, causing sciatica’s hallmark symptom: sudden, shooting pain in one leg.
You may develop sciatica after a sports or traumatic injury, but the pain is usually caused by a spinal condition that pinches the nerve, such as:
Of all the possible causes, herniated discs are the most common, representing 90% of all cases.
In addition to low back pain and pain radiating down one leg, pinched nerves cause other sensations. Sciatica may cause tingling, burning, or numbness in the affected leg. Though everyone experiences sciatica differently, most people describe it as excruciating, debilitating, electric-shock pain.
If you haven’t already received sciatica treatment, your Sunshine Spine and Pain Specialists, PLLC, provider begins with conservative therapies. You may need to modify your activities, take pain-relieving and inflammation-reducing medications, and start a physical therapy program.
Patients struggling with sciatica after conservative care can still get relief from their symptoms with the treatments available from the experienced team at Sunshine Spine and Pain Specialists, PLLC.
Interventional and regenerative treatments are combined with personalized physical therapy to restore strength, flexibility, and mobility.
Each person’s treatment is based on the source of their pain. Your interventional care may include:
These minimally invasive procedures target the specific nerves transmitting pain signals, or they treat the underlying spinal problem.
Your provider may also recommend regenerative treatments, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell injections. Platelets and/or stem cells may activate your body’s natural healing response, helping to ease your pain by reducing inflammation and repairing tissues.
Don’t let sciatica limit your ability to stay active and enjoy life. Call Sunshine Spine and Pain Specialists, PLLC, or request an appointment online today.