Sciatica

Sciatica is a term that describes pain in the low back, buttock, leg or foot due to irritation of the nerves that exit the spine at the lumbar area. A number of factors contribute to this nerve irritation but most common among them are degenerative disc disease and narrowing of the space around the nerve (stenosis).

Sciatica is quite common but can be debilitating. Symptoms can develop quickly as acute, sharp, or “shooting” pains or may present more gradually, as a constant ache. Pain of this kind ranges from mild discomfort to pain so severe it interferes with one’s ability to work, exercise, and enjoy activities with our friends or family.

For some people sciatica gets better on its own or in conjunction with an exercise regimen. For others, more direct forms of treatment, like those offered by our practice, may be necessary to manage or resolve pain.

At Interventional Spine of Vermont, providers offer a number of evidence-based treatments for sciatica, including interlaminar and transforaminal epidural steroid injections. Make an appointment with one of our providers to find the best course of treatment for your sciatica.

Epidural Steroid Injection for Sciatica

Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI) have been clinically proven to relieve symptoms of neck and back pain in most people. The epidural space surrounds the spinal cord and nerves like a sleeve and contains fat, connective tissue, blood vessels, and the dural sac in which nerves are enclosed. With an ESI, steroid is injected into this space and coats the nerve, reducing the inflammation and swelling to which pain is often attributed. This process allows the nerves to heal and, in many cases, one or two ESI procedures are necessary to provide long-term or even permanent symptom relief.

In other cases, the factors responsible for your pain do not change much over time and the ESI provides only temporary relief (3-4 months). In such instances, continuous exercise regimens, medications, and periodic injections are used to resolve or decrease pain in the long term.

Epidural steroid injections are contraindicated by certain bleeding conditions, active infection, and current anticoagulation. Please let us know if you are currently taking anticoagulants (blood thinners) or have a bleeding disorder so that we may discuss best treatment options. Pain relief typically starts 7-10 days after the injection and lasts for an average of 4 months.

Spinal Stenosis | Spondylolysis | Degenerative Disc | Herniated Disc