Sciatica

Sara Goel, DO

Board Certified Interventional Pain Management Physician & Board Certified Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician located in Inner Loop, Medical Center, Rice Village, Houston, TX

Sciatica is a common painful condition that causes discomfort that radiates from your lower back and into your legs on one side of your body. In most cases, sciatica resolves within a few weeks or a few months. However, depending on the underlying cause, sciatica may be a chronic source of pain. Board-certified interventional pain management physician Sara Goel, DO, in Houston, Texas, provides advanced treatment options for sciatica to help you get the long-term pain relief you need. To schedule a consultation, call the office, or book an appointment online today.

Sciatica Q & A

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a painful condition caused by a pinched nerve, specifically, a pinched sciatic nerve.

Your sciatic nerve is the thickest nerve in your body. The nerve roots that create the sciatic nerve exit from your lumbar and sacral spine, join together in your buttock, and run down the length of your leg on both sides of your body.

Your sciatic nerve is a sensory and motor nerve. Compression along any part of your sciatic nerve can cause sciatica. Herniated discs, bone spurs, and narrowing of the spinal canal are also common causes of sciatica.

What are sciatica symptoms?

Electric shock-like pain that travels down your lower back and into your leg is the most common sciatica symptom. Other symptoms include:

Dull aching pain
Burning, tingling, or numbness that radiates to your leg
Muscle weakness

Your sciatica pain may come and go. You may notice that your pain worsens after coughing, sneezing, or sitting for prolonged periods of time.

Though sciatica affects millions of people every year, in most cases, the pain resolves on its own over time. However, for some people, sciatica turns into a chronic source of pain.

What happens during a sciatica evaluation?

Dr. Goel conducts an in-depth clinical exam when you come in looking for help managing sciatica.

During your evaluation, she reviews your symptoms and the activities that worsen or alleviate your pain. She also asks about your medical history and conducts a physical exam, paying close attention to the structure and function of your lower back.

To determine the underlying cause of your sciatica, Dr. Goel runs diagnostic tests such as blood work, X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans. She may also assess nerve health and function with a nerve conduction study and electromyography (EMG) test.

How is sciatica treated?

Dr. Goel takes a conservative and integrated approach to care. Before recommending surgical intervention for sciatica, she may first suggest non-surgical treatments such as:

Physical therapy
Activity modification
Weight loss
Pain medication
Anti-inflammatories
Spinal injections

If you know or suspect that you have sciatica, call the office of Dr. Sara Goel, or book an evaluation online today.