At Riverview Pain & Spine Institute, Dr. Dinash Yanamadula and his staff specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of sciatica. The state-of-the-art practice serves the residents of Edgewater, New Jersey and the surrounding communities.
Sciatica is one of the most common types of back pain. The pain caused by sciatica varies widely, but for many is extremely painful. The pain typically starts in the lower, or lumbar, back and radiates down the sciatic nerve that branches through the buttock and down one or both legs. Some patients describe the sensation as feeling like an electric shock. Many also experience tingling, numbness or muscle weakness. Often, pain intensifies after long periods of sitting or with a sneeze or cough. Untreated, sciatica can be a major disability.
A number of factors can cause sciatica. Basically, it is anything that causes part of the sciatic nerve to be compressed and, in turn, cause pain. Some of the most common causes of sciatica are:
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body and thousands of smaller nerves branch off of it, sending signals from the legs and feet up through the spine to the brain. It carries the majority of the neurological responses from the lower extremities up to the spine. The sciatic nerve passes through foramina that are located in the sacrum. If those foramina begin to narrow or the area through which the nerve travels becomes injured, the amount of pain messages that are sent along its pathway can be overwhelming. When sciatica occurs, the irritation to the nerve is magnified due to the large number of neurological connections it must make on a constant basis.
Dr. Yanamadula customizes pain treatment plans for each patient. Often a variety of approaches are used. These may include:
At Riverview Pain and Spine, we accept most major insurance plans. Please contact our office if you do not see your insurance provider listed.