What Is the Best Treatment for Sciatica?

Sciatica is nerve pain that typically radiates down your leg. Other symptoms, like tingling or numbness, often accompany it. 

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body, running from your lower back down your legs. When that nerve is irritated or compressed, you can develop sciatica. 

People living with sciatica experience symptoms that range from mild discomfort to debilitating pain. As a result, the treatment options are just as varied. 

We typically start with conservative methods like physical therapy and advance to more invasive options, such as injections and surgery, if they don’t work.

At SEPA Pain & Spine, our team of experts understands that no two cases of sciatica are the same. Depending on the severity of your symptoms and other personal factors, we focus on developing the best treatment plan for you.

In this blog, we explain the different treatment options available at our clinic and help you understand what to expect from each one so you can make an informed decision about your care.

Conservative treatments

The first step in treating sciatica is to start with conservative options, which are less invasive and highly effective in mild to moderate cases.

Physical therapy

One of our skilled physical therapists works with you to create an exercise program tailored to your symptoms and the underlying cause of your sciatica. These exercises strengthen the muscles in your spine, improve your flexibility, and reduce pressure on your sciatic nerve.

Medications

We often start over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, to manage mild pain. If these aren’t effective, we may prescribe muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatories, or even a short course of oral steroids.

While these medications can ease your pain, they don’t treat the underlying cause, which is why we typically combine them with other treatments like physical therapy.

Epidural steroid injections

We administer these injections directly into the area around your spinal nerves to reduce inflammation and pain radiating from the irritated nerve roots. The procedure is minimally invasive, and we usually perform it under local anesthesia.

Many people report feeling significant pain relief just days after receiving the injection. With less severe pain, you can engage more actively in physical therapy and other treatments that address the root cause of your sciatica.

Advanced treatments

If conservative treatments don’t alleviate your pain, we move on to more advanced options. These treatments are typically best for more severe cases of sciatica.

Radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation uses radio waves to generate heat and block the pain signals sent by the nerves. We often use this procedure for patients with chronic pain that hasn’t responded to other treatments. It’s minimally invasive and can relieve pain for several months to years.

Spinal cord stimulation

SCS involves implanting a small device near your spine that sends mild electrical impulses to your spinal cord, disrupting pain signals before they reach the brain. SCS provides targeted pain relief and significantly reduces the need for long-term medication use.

Surgery

Surgery is typically a last resort for sciatica treatment, but it can be effective when other options fail or when there is significant nerve compression that could lead to permanent damage. 

We may recommend a microdiscectomy, in which we remove a small portion of the herniated disc to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve, or a laminectomy, in which we remove part of the vertebra to widen the spinal canal and relieve pressure on the nerves. 

Sciatica can be painful and frustrating, but with the right treatment plan, you’ll be living and moving pain-free in no time. Our team at SEPA Pain & Spine is dedicated to helping you find the best treatment plan.

Call us today to schedule a consultation at any of our offices in Horsham, Langhorne, Meadowbrook, Chalfont, East Norriton, or Limerick in southeastern Pennsylvania. You can also book one online here.