Sciatica Pain Treatment

Understanding Sciatica Pain

Dealing with sciatica pain? Here's a clear, evidence-based look at it for our North Carolina patients.

Common signs and symptoms

• Shooting pain down the leg
• Lower back pain radiating to buttock
• Numbness in leg or foot
• Weakness in affected leg

Typical causes

• Herniated lumbar disc
• Piriformis syndrome
• Spinal stenosis
• Bone spurs on spine

The evidence at a glance

Sciatica often results from a herniated lumbar disc compressing a nerve root, and in many cases symptoms improve over weeks with conservative care. ^[1]

Initial management of sciatica typically favors non-surgical care, with surgery considered for severe or persistent nerve compression. ^[2]

Treatment options to consider

• Epidural steroid injections
• Piriformis stretching program
• Surgical decompression
• Nerve-gliding exercises

Next steps with Apex Orthopedics & Spine

Every patient is different — an Apex provider in North Carolina can tell you which approach fits your case.

References

Rushton A, Heneghan NR, Heymans MW, et al. Clinical course of pain and disability following primary lumbar discectomy: systematic review and meta-analysis. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society. 2020. (Meta-Analysis) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31916000/

Osama M, Afridi S, Rathore FA. Prone Lumbar Traction: An Underexplored Alternative for Lumbar Radiculopathy and Discogenic Low Back pain. JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association. 2025. (Review) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40143499/

This information is for general education only and is not medical advice. It does not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare provider.