Ask anyone who experiences it – there are few conditions as troublesome as lumbar radiculopathy, better known as sciatica. It causes pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which extends from your lower back down both legs all the way to your feet.
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body, and the symptoms of sciatica typically occur on one side of your lower body. Chronic sciatic pain that persists for more than three months, either all the time or exacerbated by certain activities, can make it difficult for you to perform everyday tasks such as walking, lifting, or even standing. Sometimes it can be impossible to find a comfortable position.
Its cause is sometimes hard to determine. However, one of the most common sources of sciatica is a herniated disc pressing against the sciatic nerve. Let’s talk about how a herniated disc can cause sciatica, and where you can go in Caldwell for nonsurgical sciatica treatment that works.
How a Herniated Disc Can Cause Sciatic Pain
The lumbar spine (the part of the spine in your lower back) bears much of the weight of your upper body and is continually in motion. As a result, your spinal discs – the tough cushions that act as shock absorbers between each set of two adjacent bones in your spine’s vertebrae – are susceptible to injury from a lifetime of use.
An injury to a disc can cause a perforation in the tough outer layer of the disc, and allow some of the soft inner core to push outward through the perforation. The disc material can then sit there, causing constant pressure on the sciatic nerve. Therefore, a herniated disc in the lumbar region can cause direct compression of the sciatic nerve, since your discs are close to your spinal cord and spinal nerve roots.
A disc herniation can trigger chronic daily back pain, which can significantly interfere with your work and lifestyle. It can restrict your mobility and interrupt your ability to remain active, enjoy your life, and perform necessary tasks. For some people with severe sciatica, the pain can be debilitating.
Treatment Options for Sciatica and a Herniated Disc
Traditionally, physicians treat painful herniated discs with invasive back surgery – which can be a discectomy, disc replacement, or spinal fusion surgery. These surgeries can require months of recovery and rehabilitation before you regain sufficient mobility and strength. Plus, many patients continue to experience persistent pain and discomfort. Research indicates that long-term results from traditional lumbar spine surgery are marginal at best.
With more than a third of patients having unsatisfactory results over the five years following initial spine surgery, surgery isn’t a great option.
The wonderful solution is a nonsurgical treatment that really works. The oxygen-ozone injection procedure for the treatment of disc herniations involves a fluoroscopy guided injection of ozone directly into the disc in a precise location determined by the doctor. This procedure helps shrink the herniated portion of the disc that is pressing on and irritating a spinal nerve.
Unlike surgery, this method does not alter the disc anatomy in any way. It can safely quell the pain caused by a disc herniation without disrupting the disc itself or the disc height, thereby enabling it to continue performing its job and allowing normal movement of your back – but without the pain of sciatica. In addition, the ozone procedure improves the long-term health of the disc and protects it from future damage.
Ozone Disc Herniation Doctor Serving US and Canada
If you are dealing with sciatica due to a disc herniation and you’re reluctant to undergo surgery – or if you have already had back surgery but it has failed to relieve your symptoms – you should consider a nonsurgical ozone disc injection treatment at Alternative Disc Therapy. Patients flock from all over the world for this revolutionary treatment, because it is proven to be as effective as surgery, but with none of the related risks and complications. Ozone disc injection treatment is a same-day outpatient procedure performed with mild sedation, a local anesthetic, and with almost no downtime.
Dr. Warren Bleiweiss has routinely performed ozone disc injection procedures with positive outcomes for over a decade. Dr. Bleiweiss pioneered the ozone disc injection procedure in North America; the treatment had been available in Europe for decades as a standard treatment for disc herniations. Numerous studies have proven that the effectiveness of this approach is sustainable and long-lasting.
At Alternative Disc Therapy, we believe that surgery should only be used as a last resort, not the first option, especially when an effective nonsurgical treatment yields better or identical results.
As a triple board-certified physician, Dr. Bleiweiss has helped countless patients relieve their herniated disc pain with oxygen-ozone injection therapy. The oxygen-ozone disc injection procedure is one of the spine treatments he performs routinely, with undeniable positive outcomes.
To learn more about this game-changing treatment, call Alternative Disc Therapy today at (973) 403-3334 to schedule a consultation, or use our convenient request an appointment form online now. We also offer telemedicine appointments for your convenience. We look forward to seeing you.
