Conservative Back Pain Treatments That Avoid Surgery
If you’re looking for the best sciatic nerve back pain treatment, then we can help you. At the VIP Medical Group, we have the latest treatments that provide effective pain relief and avoid unnecessary surgeries. Let’s discuss why you should consider non-surgical sciatic nerve back pain treatments and look at the symptoms of sciatic pain.
These days, many orthopedic surgeons are quick to suggest surgery and narcotics as the only way to treat back pain. However, surgery is risky and involves taking pain medication for long periods of time. There’s also risks regarding blood clots, wound infections and issues with anesthesia. It’s well-known that the U.S. is facing an opioid epidemic and research is highlighting the negative health consequences of using long-term NSAIDs. Surgery is not always necessary and does not always maximize health. That’s why it is important to consider seeking medical advice from a pain doctor. Pain doctors are experts in the diagnosis and management of pain conditions and are able to provide the latest, non-surgical sciatic nerve back pain treatment.
Now that we’ve discussed the importance of seeking medical advice from a pain doctor, let’s take a look at the best sciatic nerve pain treatments available that avoid surgery:
Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection
Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections are a popular treatment choice as they are highly effective and only take between 15 – 30 minutes.
During this procedure, your pain doctor will ask you to lie on the X-Ray table. They will then apply a local anesthetic to ensure that you are comfortable. You will also be provided with a light sedative such as Valium to ensure you are relaxed. Next, your pain doctor will use a fluoroscope to guide the needle directly into the epidural space to deliver steroid medication. This means that your area of pain is target directly and is delivered to the inflamed nerve root.
Epidural injections are an excellent sciatic nerve back pain treatment choice as they can provide immediate pain relief and can be delivered over the course of a few weeks and may help you avoid complex surgery.
Lumbar Facet Joint Injection
A lumbar facet joint injection is an excellent way to feel the benefit of instant pain relief in a minimally invasive manner. Lumbar facet joint injections are a popular treatment choice because they can also help your pain doctor to diagnose your back pain. These injections are also popularly used in conjunction with physical therapy to help people with sciatica.
During this procedure, your pain doctor will use a fluoroscopy or X-Ray whilst you lie on your abdomen – this helps your doctor to gain an accurate image of your pain. They will then inject a local anesthetic to ensure you are comfortable throughout the procedure. Your pain doctor will then inject multiple needles along the facet joint nerves under X-Ray guidance. Next, your doctor will inject a local anesthetic into the joint nerves to directly target your pain and provide immediate pain relief.
What Is Sciatic Nerve Pain?
Back pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. It is estimated that approximately 50% of working Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Millions of work days per year are lost due to sickness-related back pain.
It can be extremely debilitating to have sciatic nerve back pain. That’s why it’s important to ensure you’re accurately diagnosed and treated with the best options available. Back pain can result from a range of medical causes, from pressure on the sciatic nerve due to spinal stenosis, to spondylothesis. However, it is important to know why you’re in pain and how best to treat it.
Sciatic nerve back pain can happen when the sciatic nerve is inflamed and becomes very painful. It can also occur due to a bone spur or a herniated disc putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. Your sciatic nerve is extremely long and wide. It controls many different muscles in the lower legs and is an important nerve for feeling sensations. People with sciatic nerve back pain therefore feel their pain in the lower legs as well as in the hips and buttocks.
Symptoms of sciatica include:
- Tingling – like pins and needles
- Pain – shooting, stabbing or burning sensations
- Numbness
- Weakness
Sciatica symptoms may worsen when moving rapidly, such as when coughing or sneezing. If left untreated, your sciatic nerve back pain can get progressively worse and even lead to further health complications. That’s why it is important to consider a consultation with a pain doctor so they can get to the root of your sciatica pain and provide sciatica pain relief and treatment.
Why Should I See A Pain Doctor?
Pain doctors are leaders in the field of pain medicine and have access to the latest conservative treatments to provide sciatica pain relief. Nowadays, it is important to highlight that there are many different sciatic nerve back pain treatments that avoid risky surgeries and instead draw upon the latest techniques in regenerative medicine to get you back to full health.
Your pain doctor will take a medical history as well as order scans (like X-Ray) and even blood tests to determine the root cause of your sciatic nerve pain. They will then offer different treatment options that provide sciatica pain relief and target the root cause of your pain. Pain doctors can also recommend the best physical therapists to work alongside your treatment. They can also recommend the best medical advice regarding the most suitable muscle relaxants and how best to use cold packs to alleviate any sciatica pain at home.
At the VIP Medical Group, our Ivy League Board Certified pain doctors draw upon their extensive experience in pain medicine to accurately assess, diagnose and treat sciatic nerve back pain. Our doctors believe in establishing friendly and helpful doctor-patient relationships to get you back to full health by using the best non-surgical techniques available. Our friendly and experienced team are on-hand to provide the best medical advice and alleviate any concerns or worries that you may have. Before committing to back surgery, consider booking a consultation with our highly-trained team to explore your options.