Sciatica Specialist
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INVO Pain Medicine Group
Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine & Med Spa located in Midtown, New York, NY
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body, and you have two of them on each side of your spinal cord. When a disc presses on one of your sciatic nerves and causes painful symptoms, Nilufer Guleyupoglu, MD — expert physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at INVO Pain Medicine Group in New York City — and her team provide state-of-the-art nonsurgical treatment. For effective relief from sciatica pain, call the Midtown, Manhattan, office to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online.
Sciatica Q & A
What causes sciatica?
Sciatica happens when something in your spine compresses your sciatic nerve. Typically, it’s a herniated disc in your spine or a bone spur on a vertebra that puts pressure on the nerve. A herniated — or bulging — disc is the most common cause of sciatica.
As you get older, changes occur in your spine that can lead to sciatica. A sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and diabetes can also increase your risk of developing this chronic condition.
What are the symptoms of sciatica?
Sciatica symptoms vary, but they often include pain that radiates from your lower back down one side of your buttock. The pain can travel into your leg and even all the way to your foot. Typically, sciatica affects just one side of your body at a time.
Painful symptoms may include any of the following:
- Sharp, shooting pains along the nerve pathway
- A mild ache
- A jolt or electric shock sensation
- Numbness and tingling feelings in your back and leg
- Muscle weakness in the affected leg or foot
- Leg cramps
- Hip pain
- Lower back pain
Sneezing, coughing, or sitting can worsen symptoms, too.
What are the nonsurgical treatments for sciatica?
When you visit INVO Pain Medicine Group for sciatic pain, they perform a thorough examination to determine the underlying cause of your symptoms and contributing factors. You may be able to make lifestyle changes to alleviate some of your discomfort, or physical therapies and a combination of pain management methods may also help. Medications such as muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatories, and pain relievers can take the edge off your pain while you undergo rehabilitative treatment.
INVO Pain Medicine Group also successfully treats sciatica with fluoroscopic injections. These are ultrasound-guided injections that allow the team to inject medications such as epidural nerve blockers and numbing solutions to ease pain. A fluoroscopic injection may alleviate your pain so you can more easily engage in physical therapies that ultimately improve your condition long-term.
If you have trouble sitting comfortably at your desk at work, experience painful symptoms in your lower back and legs when you walk, or can’t find a comfortable sleeping position because of hip pain, you could be suffering from sciatica.
Call Dr. Guleyupoglu’s Midtown, Manhattan, office to schedule a comprehensive evaluation or make an appointment using the convenient online booking tool. It’s the first step in getting the relief you need.
