In order to best understand sciatica, it’s important to first understand the literal “ins and outs” of what it’s caused by, what it feels like and how to treat it.
The first misconception to address is that sciatica is not an actual medical diagnosis- it’s a symptom of a medical condition. More specifically, it’s the uncomfortable symptom of tingling, numbness, weakness or pain running from the lower spine, through the buttock, into the back of the thigh and down through the foot- the route of the largest single nerve in your body, the sciatic nerve.
Although sciatica pain will vary, it is often recognized through the following symptoms:
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Constant pain on one side of the lower body
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Intensifying pain when sitting
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Sharp pain that makes standing or walking difficult
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A “burning” pain in the leg
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Difficulty moving leg, foot or toes
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A radiating pain that runs from the leg into the foot/ toes
These sciatic symptoms occur when the sciatic nerve is compressed or irritated at the root in the lower back. It affects different areas of your body depending on the location of the pinched or irritated nerve and the level of compression.
In most instances, sciatic pain can be treated with a progressive exercise program targeting core muscles and tailored around the cause of the sciatic pain such as a lumbar herniated disc or spinal stenosis.
However, if pain does not improve on its own, Legacy Neuro offers a different approach- The Midline Image Guided Fusion Procedure (MIG-LIF). MIG-LIF was conceived by Legacy’s own, Dr. Scott Schlesinger, and is one of the most minimally invasive operations available in the world for lumbar laminectomy and fusion surgeries. While traditional open spine procedures require an incision of 3-6 inches, our MIG-LIF key hole option only needs 1 inch or less; reducing your hospital stay, risk of infection, recovery time and costs.
If you think you might be a good candidate for MIG-LIF, contact us online at legacyneuro.com or call us at 801-6490.