Sciatica Specialist

Institute of Spinal Disorders

Orthopedic Spine Surgery & General Orthopedic Surgery located in Hurst, TX & Fort Worth, TX

Sciatica is a common pain condition that affects up to 40% of people at some point during their life. Though sciatica may resolve on its own with at-home care, if you have severe or ongoing low back or leg pain, Robert Myles, MD, FAAOS, at the Institute of Spinal Disorders in Hurst and Fort Worth, Texas, can help. He offers many innovative treatments for sciatica. Call the office nearest you or schedule an appointment online today.

Sciatica Q & A

What is sciatica?

Irritation, pinching, or compression of your sciatic nerve causes sciatica. Your sciatic nerve is the longest and thickest nerve in your body. It consists of five nerve roots, including two that exit from the lumbar spine and three that exit from the sacral spine.

These five nerve roots come together to form a right and left sciatic nerve that runs through the hips, buttocks, and down each leg, ending right below the knees. They then branch off into nerves that continue down your legs and into your feet and toes.

Herniated discs, disc protrusions, and spinal stenosis are the most common causes of the pinching, irritation, or compression of the nerve that causes sciatica pain.

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

Symptoms of sciatica include pain that affects the lower back or buttocks and travels down the thigh and leg. The pain symptoms vary and may include:

Numbness and tingling
Weakness
Burning sensation
Electric shock-like sensation

Your pain sensations may vary when you change position or posture. Coughing, twisting, bending, or moving from a sitting to a standing position may increase your pain sensations.

How is sciatica treated?

Treatment for your sciatica may depend on the severity of your symptoms and the underlying cause. Dr. Myles conducts a comprehensive history and physical so that he can create the most effective treatment plan.

Initially, he recommends non-surgical treatments for sciatica, which may include:

Activity modification
Heat and ice
Anti-inflammatory medication
On-site physical therapy
Epidural steroid injection
Stem cell therapy
Exosomes
MLS Laser Therapy

The Institute of Spinal Disorders also offers the Neuralgo-Rheum® injection, which contains a combination of botanical and mineral ingredients that provide pain relief without side effects.

When do I need surgery for sciatica?

Dr. Myles only recommends surgery for sciatica when non-surgical treatments fail to provide significant relief from your pain, your pain gets worse, or you have lower extremity weakness with a loss of bowel or bladder control.

Typically, for sciatica, Dr. Myles performs a laminectomy or spinal fusion.

Laminectomy

During a laminectomy, Dr. Myles removes the lamina, which is the back part of the vertebrae that covers your spinal canal. Removing the lamina eases pressure on the spinal nerve roots and relieves sciatica symptoms.

Spinal fusion

For a spinal fusion, Dr. Myles fuses two or more of the vertebral bones in your lumbar spine to stop painful movement. He may perform a spinal fusion if a herniated disc is causing your sciatica pain.

When performing spine surgery for sciatica, Dr. Myles uses minimally invasive surgery if appropriate.

For relief from sciatica, call the Institute of Spinal Disorders, or book an appointment online today.

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