More Information on Sciatica

Long Island Spine Specialists’ Approach

At Long Island Spine Specialists, our focus is getting to the underlying cause of pain and addressing that area, resulting in happy, pain-free patients. Here is more information about each of our treatments we office here at Long Island Spine Specialists:

• Physical therapy: A key component of nearly any sciatica treatment plan are physical therapy exercises incorporating stretching, strengthening, and aerobic conditioning. Strengthening exercises help build strong core muscles to better support the spine, while stretching targets muscles that can cause pain when tight and inflexible. Walking, swimming, or other low-impact cardio exercises promotes the exchange of fluids and nutrients for better healing.
• Anti-inflammatory medications: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, are among the most frequently prescribed medications for sciatica.
• Pain medication: Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or aspirin, are frequently used to treat sciatica.
• Muscle relaxants: The goal with muscle relaxants is to relieve pain, increase mobility, and reduce skeletal muscle spasms.
• Steroid injections: Steroid injections are a common method of non-surgically treating sciatica. The steroid medication is typically injected into the spine near the inflamed nerve to reduce pain and swelling around the nerve root and bring relief from sciatica.
• Surgery: Discectomy (or microdiscectomy) and laminectomy (or laminotomy) are common surgical procedures for sciatica. Discectomy or microdiscectomy involves removing all or part of a herniated disc that is pushing on the sciatic nerve. In a laminectomy or laminotomy, all or part of the lamina (the bony plate that protects the spinal canal and cord) is removed to create more room in the spinal canal for the nerves.
• Acupuncture: Both acupuncture and acupressure are alternative treatments for sciatica. Acupuncture uses very fine, sterile needles. Acupressure is a non-invasive, gentle therapy, similar to acupuncture, but using pressure from the thumbs, fingers, elbows, etc. instead of needles.
• Chiropractic care: Chiropractors routinely treat sciatica using spinal manipulation and a variety of therapies including ultrasound and ice.