Sciatica and Disc Disorders

What is sciatica?

• Sciatica is a term for pain that travels from your lower back to your buttock and down the back of your leg (along the patch of the sciatic nerve)
• You may feel pain anywhere along this nerve pathway, especially in the buttock or the back of the thigh or calf
• This pain can be caused by direct compression of the sciatic nerve or more commonly by a herniated disc in the lower (lumbar) spine
• The pain can vary from a mild ache to a sharp, shooting or burning sensation that can be disabling.
• Typically the pain affects only one leg
• The pain is often aggravated by coughing or sneezing or prolonged sitting

What services does the Pain Management Center offer?

• Help with the diagnosis of sciatica
• Medication management
• Epidural steroid injections