Tired of Living with Sciatica? A Look at How Nerve Blocks Can Provide Relief

The sciatic nerve is the largest and thickest in your body. When it’s compressed or irritated due to sciatica, it’s a major source of discomfort. 

Up to 40% of Americans experience this uncomfortable condition known as sciatica at some point. If you’re bothered by recurrent or ongoing sciatica pain and little seems to help, you may be a prime candidate for a nerve block.

Our expert team at Houston Pain Specialists, led by board-certified pain management specialist Hui Kang, MD, provides this minimally invasive sciatica treatment to bring you lasting relief.

Take a few moments to learn about nerve blocks for sciatica, including how they can help.

Sciatica basics

Defined as back pain that radiates down one side of your lower body, sciatica usually derives from disc herniation or bone overgrowth that strains nerve roots. Other common symptoms include inflammation, numbness, or tingling — often in one leg. 

While sciatica can be mild and temporary, diminishing without formal treatment, symptoms that continue to flare up, become severe, or seldom let up should prompt an exam. 

Anyone can develop sciatica, but being age 20-50 or having a herniated disc raises your risk. Obesity, sitting for lengthy periods, and diabetes can also contribute.

Sciatica treatment

After a comprehensive exam, our team determines your best sciatica treatment plan. The specifics of your plan depend on your symptom cause, type, and severity, as well as your overall health. 

Conservative sciatica treatment often includes anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy. Most people with sciatica notice improvements through nonsurgical interventions.

Sciatica surgery is reserved for severe, treatment-resistant sciatica. A microdiscectomy, for example, relieves sciatica by removing from the disc the material that’s compressing the nerve.

For nonsurgical sciatica relief when conservative measures fall short, our team offers nerve blocks. They’re safer and far less invasive than surgery, and you won’t need downtime for recovery.

How nerve blocks help sciatica

Nerve blocks reduce sciatica symptoms by interrupting pain signals to your brain and reducing inflammation. Less inflammation may enhance your healing, too, saving you from more pain.

During an outpatient procedure, we place a numbing agent and a steroid medication near the affected nerve through an injection. The procedure takes minutes and causes only minor and brief discomfort.

In addition to rapid relief from the anesthetic, you gradually experience anti-inflammatory benefits for even more relief.

A nerve block can also help our team confirm or rule out conditions, such as sciatica. If we target your sciatic nerve yet your symptoms carry on, your pain may derive from elsewhere.

To learn more about nerve blocks for sciatica or get started with lasting pain relief, contact our Houston, Texas, office today to schedule an appointment.