Sciatica

Need the Area’s Most Advanced Sciatica Treatment? Orange County Turns to Hoag for Next-Generation Spinal Care.

Every day at the Hoag Spine Institute, we set the gold standard for advanced, patient-focused spine care in Orange County.

That includes our commitment to the tens of thousands of Orange County residents who experience issues with sciatica pain due to a herniated disk, bone spurs or spinal stenosis. The sciatic nerve is a marvel of biology, carrying nerve impulses from our lower extremities to the brain. But when something pinches or irritates the sciatic nerve, it hurts. The Hoag Spine Institute’s comprehensive team of medical pain management and spine surgery experts offer next-generation diagnosis and advanced treatment options that can make a big difference in your care and quality of life.

Read on for what you need to know about sciatica, including key terms, symptoms and what you may be doing to make your sciatica worse. And if you need a sciatica specialist in Orange County to help control your sciatica pain, remember: there’s no place like Hoag. Contact us today at 949-764-1411 or through our online form.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is an issue in which pain occurs due to damage or pressure on the sciatic nerve. Beginning in the lower back, the two sciatic nerves branch away from the lower spine (the lumbar spine) before running through the hips and buttocks and down each leg.

Sciatica usually only affects only one side of the body. It can feel like stabbing, crushing or shooting pain that radiates from the lower back and upper buttocks and down one leg. In severe cases, the pain can reach as far as the feet and toes.

Sciatica pain usually occurs due to something pressing on or irritating the spinal cord or nerves, like a herniated disk. That can cause inflammation of the sciatic nerve that is interpreted by the brain as severe leg and back pain, with the pain radiating along the affected nerve pathway.

What Causes Sciatica?

Sciatica pain is usually due to lumbar radiculopathy, a condition in which the compression or inflammation of a nerve in the lower back causes pain that radiates down the path of the sciatic nerve.

The body’s largest nerve, the sciatic nerve begins at the junction of five nerve roots, then branches away on each side of the lower spine. From there, the two sciatic nerves run through the pelvis, then down the back of each leg.

If a herniated disk occurs in the lower (lumbar) spine, or there’s an overgrowth of bone on a vertebrae that causes bone spurs, part of the sciatic nerve can become compressed.

That can cause irritation of the nerve, resulting in impulses that the brain interprets as severe pain in the buttock or leg. In serious cases, sciatica can result in more dangerous issues, including muscle weakness, permanent nerve damage or the loss of bowel or bladder control.

What Are the Symptoms of Sciatica?

The most typical symptom of sciatica is pain; specifically, pain that begins in the lower back and buttocks and continues down the back of one leg. Sciatica pain can vary from person to person, ranging from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation and severe pain in serious cases.

Other sciatica symptoms may include:

• Tingling or numbness in one or both legs.
• Muscle weakness in an affected leg, lower leg or foot.
• Pain that gets worse with long periods of sitting, lifting heavy objects or sudden movements.
• Pain that gets worse if you lay on your back and attempt to lift your legs one at a time.

Severe sciatica symptoms, which may constitute a medical emergency, can include:

• Numbness or tingling in the genitals or anus.
• Urinary problems, including the loss of bladder control.
• Gastrointestinal problems, including the loss of bowel control.

Are There Any Serious Medical Complications of Sciatica?

Sciatica is a condition that can cause severe, prolonged nerve pain, limiting a person’s ability to work, enjoy time with friends and do the things they want to do. Over time, chronic nerve pain due to sciatica can cause a range of psychological complications, including depression.

While rare, severe nerve compression that causes sciatica can also cause serious nerve and function-related complications. Other possible complications of more severe sciatica include:

• Permanent nerve damage in the legs or buttocks.
• Loss of feeling in an affected leg.
• Loss of bowel or bladder function, which may indicate a serious condition called cauda equina syndrome. Learn more about cauda equina syndrome from the National Institutes of Health.
• Increased leg weakness, which may make a person prone to falls.

These symptoms, while rare in those with sciatica, usually require immediate medical attention.

What Are the Risk Factors for Sciatica?

When the symptoms of sciatica occur, they’re often related to herniated disks in the lower spine or other conditions that can irritate the sciatic nerve, like a bone spur. Therefore, many sciatica risk factors are related to issues that can impact the health and strength of a person’s spinal column and lower back.

Sciatica risk factors include:

• Being obese.
• Being older.
• Smoking tobacco.
• Being in an accident which causes a severe jolt to the spine.
• Playing a full-contact sport like football, wrestling or rugby.
• Not getting enough regular exercise, including bending and stretching exercises.
• Heavy lifting, especially if using improper form and without safety equipment like lift belts.
• Having a herniated disk or injury to the lower back.
• Being diabetic.
• Having a job that requires lifting and twisting.
• Having a job that requires prolonged sitting, like a desk job or being a commercial driver.

Is There Any Way to Reduce My Risk Factors for Sciatica?

Because sciatica pain can occur due to factors beyond a person’s control, including damage to the discs spinal nerves related to accidents and on-the-job injuries, there’s no way to definitely prevent a person from developing a spinal issue that results in sciatica.

However, there are a number of steps you can take to potentially reduce your risk of developing sciatica by keeping your body, muscles and back healthy. These may include:

• Take the steps necessary to maintain a healthy weight, including eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of regular exercise.
• Be sure to engage in lifelong activities that require you to bend, twist and move, to help keep your spinal column healthy and flexible.
• Don’t smoke tobacco.
• If you are prescribed physical therapy for an accident- or work-related back injury, herniated disk or back pain, follow the instructions and advice of the physical therapist strictly, including attending all appointments.
• If you’re diabetic, be sure to follow your physician’s advice exactly and take the steps necessary to keep your blood sugar under control.
• Use proper form when lifting heavy objects, including the use of safety equipment like lifting belts.
• Avoid sitting for long periods of time.

If you experience lower back pain after lifting at work or while exercising, especially if you’ve experienced sciatica symptoms or a herniated disk before, give yourself time to heal, utilizing hot packs, cold packs and other self-care measures.

If self-care treatments don’t work or you don’t see improvement in your back or spine pain in a few weeks, or if you experience severe sciatic nerve pain, muscle weakness or leg pain in both legs, see your doctor soon for a physical exam.

Looking for a Sciatica Pain Specialist in Orange County? From Huntington Beach to Yorba Linda, Hoag is Your Home For Advanced Spine Care.

If you’ve ever experienced sciatic nerve pain due to a herniated disk in the lower back, you know it can result in pain like no other. Stabbing, burning, shooting, unrelenting leg pain — the kind of pain that won’t let you work and won’t let you rest.

Are you suffering from pain due to lower spine issues like sciatica? In Orange County, Hoag has your back.

At the Hoag Spine Institute, we’ve got the tools, next-generation technology and world-class team of spine experts you need to heal. Few spine programs in Southern California have Hoag’s advanced capabilities, or our commitment to empathetic, patient-centered care.

From comprehensive physical therapy programs to nationally-recognized pain specialists, less invasive sciatica surgery techniques to remove bone spurs to nonsurgical treatments that reduce pain and improve function, Hoag is a beacon of hope and healing for those with back pain in Orange County.

From advanced techniques to diagnose sciatica pain to the latest conservative treatment paths that build strength and get you moving again, there’s no place like Hoag. So don’t wait and keep hurting. Contact Hoag today.

To learn more about Hoag Spine Institute, or to schedule a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation with a Hoag spine care specialist, please contact us today at 949-764-1411 or through our online form.