Causes and Treatments of Sciatica

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.

Causes and Symptoms of Growth Hormone Deficiency

With a focus on age and pain management, award-winning physician Robert Windsor, MD, practices physical medicine in Georgia. Although he has experience in treating numerous conditions, Robert Windsor, MD, is specifically interested in the evaluation and treatment of adult-onset growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

GHD develops when the pituitary gland fails to produce the right amount of growth hormone to sustain the human body. When this condition occurs in children, it delays the rate at which their body grows and develops. In most cases, GHD in kids is caused because the hypothalamus fails to stimulate the pituitary gland so it releases growth hormone.

Adults can also experience GHD. In adults, the condition is typically the result of damage to the pituitary gland. This is caused by either a head injury or a pituitary tumor. In the event of a tumor, surgery may be recommended to have the tumor removed before the condition can be treated. Inactivity of the hypothalamus can also cause GHD in adults, though this reason is less common in adults than children.

With adult-onset GHD, patients typically experience significant changes in themselves. Most often, these individuals notice a decrease in their usual endurance and energy levels. They may also notice an increase in body fat around the waist, impaired concentration, osteoporosis, a decreased interest in sexual activity, and a desire to avoid social contact.

Sacroiliac Joint Injections - What to Expect

The founder of the Georgia Spine & Sports Physicians Spine & Sports Fellowship, Robert Windsor, MD, most recently served as the CEO and chief medical officer of National Pain Care, Inc. Having worked in the pain management industry for more than three decades, Robert Windsor, MD, has developed a familiarity with such procedures as sacroiliac joint injections.

A sacroiliac joint injection, or sacroiliac joint block, treats sciatica symptoms caused by sacroiliac joint dysfunction and low back pain. As evidenced by the name, these injections are made into the sacroiliac joints, which connect the hip with the spine on both sides of the body. When this area becomes inflamed, the pain it causes can radiate to the leg, groin, abdomen, or buttocks.

In most cases, a sacroiliac joint injection takes between 20 to 30 minutes. During the procedure, patients will receive an IV with medication that helps them relax if they are feeling nervous. While lying on an x-ray table, the skin over the sacroiliac joints is cleansed and numbed. Using a small needle, physicians inject contrast dye into the joint with the guidance of an x-ray. Once physicians know the joint is accepting medication by checking the location of the contrast dye, they slowly inject anti-inflammatory cortisone.

Although patients can usually move and return home shortly after the procedure, they may continue experiencing some numbness or weakness in the leg for several hours. Pain may also continue for a few days following the procedure.

The Relationship between Exercise and Inflammation

Pain management physician Robert Windsor, MD, has been practicing medicine for more than three decades. A lifelong athlete, Robert Windsor, MD, is a strong advocate for exercise as a treatment option for various health conditions.

Long-term, or chronic, inflammation contributes to numerous diseases, including cancer, arthritis, diabetes, and obesity. Exercise reduces the body’s inflammatory response by prompting the muscles to release interleukin 6 (IL-6). This small protein fights inflammation by reducing levels of TNF alpha, a protein that triggers inflammation. In addition, IL-6 inhibits the signaling effects of interleukin 1 beta, which causes inflammation that can damage the pancreatic cells responsible for producing insulin.

According to studies, at least 20 minutes of brisk walking is necessary to reduce inflammation in the body. However, other research notes that the longer and more intense the workout, the more the muscles produce IL-6.

Studies also note that IL-6 is likely not the only factor affecting inflammation in the body after exercise. Working out also increase the levels of interleukin-15 (IL-15), which regulates abdominal fat, another factor believed to promote inflammation in the body.

What Is Discogenic Pain?

Robert Windsor, MD, focuses much of his practice on interventional pain management. As testament to his knowledge in the field, Robert Windsor, MD, has trained more than 100 physicians in the subspecialty and has written, taught, and spoken about topics such as discogenic pain.

Discogenic pain may result from degenerative disc disease, a medical condition that develops as people grow older. Normally, spinal discs cushion the vertebrae of the spine. As people age, gain weight, or perform repetitive movements, these discs can become compressed and deteriorate.

Discogenic pain may also be caused by inflammation of the nerve receptors near the spine. Often, this inflammation results from injuries to the spine or discs. Genetics can also cause discogenic pain to develop by changing the chemical composition of the discs and making them dry out or wear down faster than normal.

Regardless of the cause, discogenic pain is often felt in the lower back, particularly when lying down, coughing, sitting, or bending. The pain also may be felt in the neck and down the arms.

Age Management - A Hormone-Based Approach to Wellness

Robert Windsor, MD, is an age management physician who has obtained diplomate status from the American Board of Anti-Aging/Regenerative Medicine. Age management professionals like Robert Windsor, MD, use information gleaned from a wide range of health and medical fields to help people maintain and improve their health as they age.

Age management deals with more than simple anti-aging efforts. Nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle recommendations all enter into age management practice, helping people to feel healthy for as long as possible by optimizing hormone production.

Nutrition work in age management encourages a balanced diet as well as specific food intake. Some foods and eating patterns optimize the production and use of good hormones and encourage overall health.

Age management takes a hormone-based approach to common exercise goals. Prevention of muscle degeneration, building of lean muscle, and burning of fat can all be improved hormonally with specific exercise plans.

Lifestyle changes in age management medicine focus on the encouragement of healthy hormone levels. Frequent stress and low-quality sleep can change the way the body uses hormones, or encourage the production of hormones that cause systemic illnesses to progress.

STRAW Defines the Reproductive Aging Process in Women

Georgia-based medical practitioner Robert Windsor, MD, has performed outpatient pain management procedures for more than three decades. The recipient of a number of accolades, including the PASSOR Clinician Award, Robert Windsor, MD, also focuses on age management and has written extensively on the impact of age-related hormone modulation on women’s health.

Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) is a diagram of hormone modulations associated with menopause. Divided into seven stages, STRAW delineates the conditions that appear throughout a woman’s cycle from menstruation to post-menopause. 

The reproductive stage is divided into early, peak and late periods. During the late period, menstrual cycles become more irregular and levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) increase, which correlates with a lower egg supply. During the menopausal stage, a woman may regularly skip several period cycles.

Common symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats will appear during this stage. The last period marks the beginning menopause. The early postmenopausal stage encompasses the first five years following the final menses.