Joint-Friendly Workouts to Ease Arthritis Pain and Stiffness
May is Arthritis Awareness Month, and it's the perfect time to inject new life into your workouts. Here are some moves that make it easier to move.
Understanding Your Treatment Options for Sciatica
Herniated discs, bone spurs, tumors, poor posture, obesity, and even an awkward sitting position can put pressure on your sciatic nerve and cause sciatica.
You might feel tingling, numbness, or outright pain anywhere along the nerve’s path, which begins in your lower back and travels through your bottom and down each leg all the way to your feet. Although it branches off in several places, your sciatic nerve is the longest in your body and is susceptible to compression from nearby bony structures and soft tissues.
Living with sciatica ranges from annoying to debilitating, but the good news is that you don’t have to live with it.
Dr. Dinash Yanamadula at the Princeton Pain & Spine Institute in Lawrenceville and Edgewater, New Jersey, offers several treatments that match your unique symptoms and can get you back into action soon. Here’s an overview of the multiple ways to approach sciatica.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy is typically the first line of treatment for sciatica. It involves a series of exercises designed to improve posture, strengthen the muscles supporting your back, and increase flexibility.
Effectiveness and benefits
Physical therapy strengthens your body’s ability to support the spine and reduces pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Risks and side effects
Physical therapy carries minimal risk. You may experience discomfort during exercises, but our experienced physical therapist, Dr. Christina Savela, monitors you closely.
Procedure
Dr. Savela designs an exercise regimen tailored to your specific needs. This could include stretching, aerobic exercises, and movements to strengthen your core.
Medications
Mild sciatica usually responds well to OTC anti-inflammatories, like ibuprofen. But if you need something stronger, Dr. Yanamadula may prescribe medications to manage your pain.
Effectiveness and benefits
Medications provide immediate relief from acute pain, are easy to use, and can be combined with other treatment methods.
Risks and side effects
Long-term use of certain medications can lead to dependency or side effects like stomach upset, dizziness, and constipation.
Procedure
Medication types and dosages vary depending on your symptoms and overall health and are typically oral pills, such as pain relievers and muscle relaxants.
Lumbar epidural steroid injections
Lumbar epidural steroid injections (ESIs) have been used for decades and are a common treatment option for many forms of lower back pain and leg pain, including sciatica.
Effectiveness and benefits
ESIs deliver powerful anti-inflammatory medicine directly into the space outside the sac of fluid around your spinal cord, quickly reducing inflammation and irritation and relieving pain.
Risks and side effects
ESIs are generally safe but can occasionally cause side effects, such as headaches, fever, or difficulty sleeping. Rarely, more serious complications may occur, including infection or nerve damage.
Procedure
An ESI is a minimally invasive procedure where Dr. Yanamadula injects a corticosteroid medication into the epidural space in your spine.
Lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections
Lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections are similar to lumbar ESIs but target a specific nerve root.
Effectiveness and benefits
Targeting a specific nerve root can relieve sciatica pain caused by a herniated disc or lumbar radiculopathy.
Risks and side effects
The risks and side effects are similar to those of lumbar ESIs.
Procedure
The procedure is similar to a lumbar ESI but focuses on a particular nerve root.
Lumbar radiofrequency neurotomy
Lumbar radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) uses heat generated by radio waves to target specific nerves and disrupt their ability to send pain signals.
Effectiveness and benefits
RFN can significantly relieve sciatica pain by disrupting the nerves’ ability to transmit pain signals.
Risks and side effects
Potential risks include temporary numbness or weakness, infection, bleeding, or worsening pain. However, these risks are relatively low.
Procedure
During an RFN, Dr. Yanamadula inserts a special needle through your skin and into the area containing the affected nerves. He then activates an electrical current produced by a radio wave that travels through the needle and heats up a small area of nerve tissue.
Sacroiliac joint steroid injections
Sacroiliac joint steroid injections reduce inflammation and pain in the sacroiliac joint, which can be a source of sciatica-like pain.
Effectiveness and benefits
These injections significantly relieve sacroiliac joint dysfunction, a common lower back and leg pain source.
Risks side effects
Potential side effects include infection, allergic reactions, and increased blood sugar levels.
Procedure
In this procedure, Dr. Yanamadula injects a corticosteroid medication into your sacroiliac joint.
Lumbar sympathetic blocks
A lumbar sympathetic block injects local anesthetic into or around the sympathetic nerves.
Effectiveness and benefits
Lumbar sympathetic blocks reduce pain and swelling in your lower extremities and may improve mobility.
Risks and side effects
Potential risks include infection, bleeding, and allergic reactions to the medications used.
Procedure
Dr. Yanamadula injects medication into the sympathetic nerve chain in your lower back.
Don’t suffer from sciatica — request an appointment online or call the Princeton Pain & Spine Institute today.
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