Sciatica is an irritation to the sciatic nerve that runs out of the lumbar region of the back.
It most commonly presents as lightning-type pain that runs down your leg.
The definition of sciatica is a pain syndrome, causing the symptoms to present themselves in many different ways. Therefore, there are different ways to treat sciatica pain depending on the cause.
Sciatic pain due to irritation or compression can be fixed at the Illinois Back Institute through our Functional Disc Rehydration, which relieves the pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Common Misconceptions: What Is NOT Sciatica?
- It is not muscle spasms
- It is not knee pain that is only in the knee and does not travel elsewhere
- It is not hip pain after one has fallen and feels a specific pinpoint pain on their hip. This is a common misdiagnosis in the older population.
Why Accurate MRI Diagnosis Is Key to Relief
Why is the Illinois Back Institute different?
Nerves do not show up on x-rays. So, on x-rays, the results may appear normal. But here at the Illinois Back Institute, before therapy begins, we always send our patients to receive an MRI to examine the nerve and determine why the sciatic nerve is irritated.
Most Common Causes of Sciatica Pain Identified Through MRI
This can be for a few reasons, and the most common ones are:
- A disc pressing onto the nerve, causing irritation
- Bones out of alignment that press against the nerve and cause irritation
- Muscle pinching the nerve