When your leg feels numb or weak, or you have shooting pains down your thigh, you may have a nerve condition called sciatica. The team of pain experts at Elite Physical Medicine in Mason, Ohio, Hebron, Kentucky, and Lawrenceburg, Indiana, clears up sciatica with collaborative treatment plans that use medical and chiropractic methods, exercise, massage therapy, and other personalized solutions to get you walking and moving without pain again. Contact the Elite Physical Medicine staff by calling the office nearest you or booking online today.
Sciatica is an inflammation or compression of your sciatic nerve that causes pain and other symptoms. The sciatic nerve is the largest in your body. It starts at the base of your spine and then splits into two branches, each of which runs down a corresponding thigh.
Because your sciatic nerve is compressed or inflamed, sciatica tends to be very painful. You may have sciatica if you have one or more classic symptoms, such as:
Sciatica usually only affects one leg, but you can sometimes have symptoms in both legs. The pain may even reach as far as your knees, ankles, and feet.
About 85% of sciatica cases start when one of the vertebral discs in your spinal column ruptures or slips and presses against the sciatic nerve. The vertebral discs are jellylike tissues that separate your vertebral bones and act as shock absorbers. However, through wear-and-tear and simply aging, your discs dry out or degrade so that they can cause painful conditions, including sciatica.
You can also develop sciatica as a result of other conditions, including:
Sometimes, over- or underdeveloped glute muscles can cause sciatica.
When you come to Elite Physical Medicine, your doctor conducts a thorough exam, which can include X-rays or other imaging studies. They ask you detailed questions about the nature of your pain. Your provider might ask you to move in specific ways to determine what’s causing your sciatica.
The team at Elite Physical Medicine custom-designs an effective and supportive treatment plan for you by selecting from a list of holistic treatments. Some options include:
Don’t suffer from the pain and weakness of sciatica another day longer. Contact the helpful team at Elite Physical Medicine for treatment and support. Call during office hours or use the online contact form at your convenience.