Sciatica is pain, tingling, or numbness produced by an irritation of the nerve roots that lead to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is formed by the nerve roots coming out of the spinal cord into the lower back. It goes down through the buttock; then, its branches extend down the back of the leg to the ankle and foot.
Symptoms of sciatica include pain that begins in your back or buttock and moves down your leg and may move into your foot. Weakness, tingling, or numbness in the leg may also occur.
The most common cause of sciatica is a bulging or ruptured disc (herniated disc) in the spine pressing against the nerve roots that lead to the sciatic nerve.
Sciatica also can be a symptom of other conditions that affect the spine, such as:
In rare cases, sciatica can also be caused by conditions that do not involve the spine, such as tumors or pyriformis muscle.
Sciatica is diagnosed by reviewing medical history and physical exam. Sometimes X-rays and tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are done to help find the cause of the sciatica.
Learn more about sciatica by watching an educational video.
Our interventional pain physician, Dr. Anil K. Sharma, is a leading practitioner of state-of-the-art techniques specializing in the use of minimally-invasive techniques to treat spinal disorders. He has performed over 70,000 spinal procedures in his 27+ years of clinical practice.
Our specialists treat all major painful conditions from refractory headaches to spine and extremity pain. Learn more about just some of the conditions we treat and treatments we offer by viewing educational videos provided by our office.
Our office is centrally located for patients in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Our state-of-the-art procedure room includes the newest C-arm and Ultrasound machines for office-based procedures. We also have accredited surgical centers in Shrewsbury, Toms River, and Neptune.