6 Things to Know Before Visiting a Sciatica Pain Doctor in Paramus

At Pain Treatment Specialists, our Harvard-trained doctors will perform a thorough physical examination and discuss with you the details of your medical history to determine what exactly causes your pain. This allows us to prescribe accurate minimally-invasive treatment that will have you pain-free as soon as possible.

Before you schedule your first appointment with a sciatica pain doctor in Paramus, here are some things you need to know about sciatica to help you prepare for the visit.  

Sciatica is not a medical diagnosis

Contrary to what some people believe, sciatica is not a medical condition in itself but rather a symptom of an undiscovered issue.

The pain you feel going from your lower back to your legs indicates that your sciatic nerve is compressed by something. What causes many to assume sciatica is a standalone medical condition is precisely the very distinct type of pain that can be felt anywhere throughout the sciatic nerve.

Most frequently, sciatic pain is the result of a herniated disk that presses on your sciatic nerve and causes discomfort. However, this is not the only cause, and only a specialist will be able to tell what exactly irritates your sciatic nerve.

Only a doctor can determine the root cause of your sciatic pain

For some people, sciatic pain can be caused by a minor injury that irritates the sciatic nerve and, as a result, will go away in a short time. For others, however, it can linger for weeks and rise in intensity until it becomes excruciating, revealing a much severe condition.

Your back pain doctor is the only one that can determine the cause of your sciatic pain, but here are some of the most common conditions that can lead to it:

• Herniated disks
• Spine injuries
• Infections that affect the spine
• Lumbar spinal stenosis
• Lumbar degenerative disc disease
• Spondylolisthesis
• Spinal tumors 

There are several treatment methods available

Some people struggle to live with sciatic pain and never actually go to see a certified back doctor because they fear the only treatment option will be surgery. While it is true that some more severe cases require surgery in order to eliminate the root cause of the pain, this is usually chosen as a last resort, if any other form of treatment failed to alleviate the pain.

A good back pain doctor will recommend minimally invasive treatment at first, combined with physical therapy and some mild medication to treat common symptoms of pain. Only if your condition does not improve will they recur to surgical treatment.

Ultimately, the suited type of treatment will be determined based on the underlying condition that causes sciatic pain.

Poor habits can worsen the sciatica

As you get older, the risk of experiencing sciatica increases. However, this does not mean that young, seemingly healthy people cannot experience a condition that causes symptoms of sciatica. This usually happens due to poor everyday habits that put pressure on the spine or cause irritation to the sciatic nerve.

Bad habits that can trigger sciatica include:

• Poor posture
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Improperly lifting heavy objects
• Incorrectly performed physical exercises
• Excess weight
• Bad sleeping position
• Smoking

If these unhealthy habits are not corrected even after pain settles in, they can worsen symptoms of sciatica and lead to severe conditions.

Certain factors can raise the risk of sciatic pain

Most people who struggle with sciatica for the first time do so between the age of 30 and 50. While this type of pain can strike anyone, certain risk factors make some people more susceptible to developing sciatic pain.

Some of these risk factors are:

• Aging
• Genetic susceptibility
• Being tall, especially in people over 50 years old
• Diabetes
• Vitamin B 12 deficiency

If any of the factors above are familiar to you, be sure to mention that during your visit to the pain specialist.

Symptoms may vary depending on the vertebrae affected

The sciatic nerve is connected to the lower spine at various points across it, meaning any vertebra affected can cause pain. Depending on where the affected vertebra is situated, you may feel pain in different areas of the leg, or the pain can remain in the lower back area only.

It is possible for sciatica to originate in the sacral, lumbar, or lumbosacral area of the spine, each area causing a distinct type of pain. These symptoms can help your back doctor localize the approximate vertebra that compresses the sciatic nerve and determine the condition that is causing your sciatic pain.

If sciatica pain prevents you from enjoying everyday life, it is time to seek adequate treatment as soon as possible. Contact our doctors in Paramus, NJ, and schedule an appointment at our Paramus on Route 17 pain clinic, near the Paramus Park Mall.