Physician, author, and academic Robert Windsor, MD, has trained more than 100 interventional pain management physicians through his fellowship program at Emory University. Robert Windsor, MD, specializes in diagnosing and treating chronic pain conditions that involve the spine, including sciatica.
The sciatic nerve runs from the base of the spinal cord through the leg and foot. If this nerve gets impacted by a herniated disk or overgrown vertebra, it can cause mild to severe discomfort.
Sciatica pain generally originates in the back and radiates down the lower half of the body. Sciatica sufferers can feel a diverse set of sensations, including numbness and sharp pains that are aggravated by sitting, sneezing, or coughing.
Frequent exercise and good posture can help prevent or alleviate sciatica pain, but severe cases may require a doctor’s visit. If over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers do not reduce the pain, sciatica patients may need several rounds of corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation. In rare cases in which sciatica impairs bladder control or causes other complications, surgery may be needed to remove pressure from the nerve.
