Sciatica Pain Treatment

Understanding Sciatica Pain

Many Georgia patients come to us with sciatica pain and the same core questions: what caused it, and how soon will I feel better?

Symptoms you might notice

• Shooting pain down the leg
• Lower back pain radiating to buttock
• Numbness in leg or foot
• Weakness in affected leg

What tends to cause it

• Herniated lumbar disc
• Piriformis syndrome
• Spinal stenosis
• Bone spurs on spine

What the research shows

Sciatica often results from a herniated lumbar disc compressing a nerve root, and in many cases symptoms improve over weeks with conservative care. ^[1]

Initial management of sciatica typically favors non-surgical care, with surgery considered for severe or persistent nerve compression. ^[2]

How we approach treatment

• Epidural steroid injections
• Piriformis stretching program
• Surgical decompression
• Nerve-gliding exercises

Talk to a Georgia Spine & Orthopedics specialist

If symptoms linger or worsen, a focused evaluation in Georgia can pinpoint the cause and the right next step.

References

Rushton A, Heneghan NR, Heymans MW, et al. Clinical course of pain and disability following primary lumbar discectomy: systematic review and meta-analysis. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society. 2020. (Meta-Analysis) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31916000/

Osama M, Afridi S, Rathore FA. Prone Lumbar Traction: An Underexplored Alternative for Lumbar Radiculopathy and Discogenic Low Back pain. JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association. 2025. (Review) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40143499/

This information is for general education only and is not medical advice. It does not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare provider.