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• Sciatic Nerve Pain

What is Sciatic Nerve Pain?

Sciatic nerve pain is associated with a condition known as sciatica, or the irritation of the sciatic nerve. When asked “What is sciatic nerve pain?” most sciatica sufferers would say that it’s a pain that starts in the lower back region, continues through the buttocks to behind the thighs and radiates below the knee, making walking difficult, if not impossible. In most cases, sciatic nerve pain occurs in one side of the body but it can occur in both legs.

Causes of Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, and is formed from nerve roots that emerge from the spinal cord in the lower back. From there, the sciatic nerve continues through the buttocks and branches down the back of each leg until terminating in the feet.

There are a variety of conditions that can contribute to compression of the sciatic nerve, including:

• Herniated discs
• Bulging discs
• Spinal stenosis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spondylolisthesis
• Bone spurs
• Facet disease

Treatment Options

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If you suffer from sciatica, it will be important to talk to your doctor about how to treat sciatica pain. Acute pain associated with this condition sometimes goes away on its own, and is typically mitigated with conservative treatments, such as pain medication or exercises to treat sciatica. However, if your sciatica pain becomes severe or lasts for more than six months, it may be time for you to consider a more progressive treatment option.

Although you may be under the impression that an open spine surgery is your only option, you should know that Laser Spine Institute (LSI) offers minimally invasive, outpatient procedures that are performed using the latest advances in endoscopic technology. We offer the chance to rediscover a life without pain, and also without the risks and lengthy recovery periods of traditional surgeries. Contact us today for more information about how to treat low back pain, or for a free review of your MRI or CT scan.

Please note: Laser Spine Institute currently does not perform endoscopic procedures on the thoracic spine.