Sciatica Relief in Elko, NV
Accelerated Medical, PLLC
Medical Center located in the Medical District at the Base of the Summit, Elko, NV
Sciatica is the unpleasant shooting pain or weakness extending down one of your legs. In some cases, it’s debilitating enough to make it difficult to walk. The team at Accelerated Medical in Elko, Nevada, uses a variety of advanced techniques to help relieve your pain and restore your nerve's functionality. Call the office or make an appointment online today with the team.
Sciatica Q & A
What is sciatica?
Running the length of your pelvis, through your hips and down to each of your legs, is the longest nerve in your body – the sciatic nerve. The smaller branches of the sciatic nerve control muscles in the legs and provide feeling in the legs, thighs, and feet.
Sciatica presents as pain radiating along the path of the sciatic nerve on one side. Causes of sciatica include:
- A herniated or bulging disc placing pressure on a nerve root
- Piriformis syndrome: tightening of the muscle that sits on the sciatic nerve
- Spinal stenosis: Your spinal canal narrows and places pressure on your nerves
Occasionally, sciatic pain in men is caused by sitting on a wallet.
How is sciatica diagnosed?
Your provider at Accelerated Medical reviews your medical history and symptoms. They also perform a physical exam that includes having you do activities that test the severity of your sciatica pain, including:
- Toe walking
- Heel walking
- Getting up from a squatting position
- A straight-leg-raise test (lifting your legs one at a time while you lie on your back)
A marked characteristic of sciatica is a sharp, shooting pain that makes standing or sitting nearly impossible. It’s often accompanied by numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the affected leg. Sciatica can also begin with a mild ache but intensify gradually over time.
How is sciatica treated?
There are a variety of treatments available for sciatica, which will often depend on the severity of your pain. Your provider at Accelerated Medical may recommend exercises and stretches to correct your posture, strengthen your back, and improve your flexibility. Chiropractic care and deep tissue massage of the piriformis muscle may also be effective.
In some cases of patients where chronic spasm of the low back or piriformis muscles are causing the sciatic pain, your provider may recommend a procedure called a trigger point injection. In this procedure, a small amount of anesthetic is injected directly into a spasmed muscle to break the spasm cycle.