McMonigle Neurology Associates
Nerve Pain - Back & Neck Pain
Nerve Pain
HOW WE CAN HELP
If sciatica and sciatic nerve pain are stopping you from engaging in normal activities throughout the day it might be time to come in and see a specialist who can help you get on a treatment plan to address these issues. Dr. Jennifer McMonigle Medical PC of East Northport, NY has helped many patients with their sciatica and can talk you through your options going forward. Make an appointment today and take the first steps toward a pain-free future.
SCIATIC NERVE PAIN
The lower back pain associated with sciatica can be unbearable. Sufferers will often cite additional pain in the back of the leg or the buttock area. The discomfort can range from a mild achiness in the generalized area to sharp pains that shoot down the leg and occur abruptly on one side of the body.
Sharp movements like a cough or sneeze can make the pain worse. Patients with sciatica may also have numbness in the leg muscles and limited range of motion in the lower back. It is a condition that impacts on everyday activities. On rare occasions, bowel or bladder dysfunction may accompany sciatica and can become quite serious, requiring immediate medical attention.
WHAT IS SCIATICA?
Sciatica is named after the sciatic nerve- a long nerve that stretches from the lower back, buttock, back of the leg and down to the foot. Sciatica occurs when this nerve is damaged in some way or has pressure placed on it. There might be a variety of different causes for sciatica including vertebral compression fractures, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, spondylosis, or even degenerative disc disease. Lifestyle and personal habits may also contribute to the likelihood that someone would experience sciatica. For example, lack of exercise, sitting for extended periods of time, poor postures, and even smoking or diabetes can be contributing factors to sciatic nerve pain.
TREATMENT
Diagnosing the sciatic pain and uncovering the cause of it is important to keep the problem from getting worse. When you speak with your doctor, she will likely ask about your general medical history, if you’ve had any recent or past injuries that might be related, and what type of pain you are experiencing. There will likely be a neurological examination in the clinical setting. This might include testing for muscle strength, reflexes, and other physical measures that might give an indication of whether there might be a further injury. Imaging tests such as a CT scan, MRI, or x-rays may be appropriate depending on whether your doctor believes there are any further considerations to investigate.
In general, most cases of sciatica will subside on their own. The type of treatment required to alleviate the pain will depend largely on what is causing it. The sciatica sufferer can easily self-treat at home using conservative options such as alternating cold and hot packs, taking anti-inflammatory medication, bed rest, and altering their activities. Treatments that can be done in a clinical setting include spinal injections and physical therapy among others. In more severe cases spine surgery may be an option if other methods have not been successful in alleviating the pain.
The lower back pain associated with sciatica can be unbearable. Sufferers will often cite additional pain in the back of the leg or the buttock area. The discomfort can range from a mild achiness in the generalized area to sharp pains that shoot down the leg and occur abruptly on one side of the body.
Sharp movements like a cough or sneeze can make the pain worse. Patients with sciatica may also have numbness in the leg muscles and limited range of motion in the lower back. It is a condition that impacts on everyday activities. On rare occasions, bowel or bladder dysfunction may accompany sciatica and can become quite serious, requiring immediate medical attention.
WHAT IS SCIATICA?
Sciatica is named after the sciatic nerve- a long nerve that stretches from the lower back, buttock, back of the leg and down to the foot. Sciatica occurs when this nerve is damaged in some way or has pressure placed on it. There might be a variety of different causes for sciatica including vertebral compression fractures, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, spondylosis, or even degenerative disc disease. Lifestyle and personal habits may also contribute to the likelihood that someone would experience sciatica. For example, lack of exercise, sitting for extended periods of time, poor postures, and even smoking or diabetes can be contributing factors to sciatic nerve pain.
TREATMENT
Diagnosing the sciatic pain and uncovering the cause of it is important to keep the problem from getting worse. When you speak with your doctor, she will likely ask about your general medical history, if you’ve had any recent or past injuries that might be related, and what type of pain you are experiencing. There will likely be a neurological examination in the clinical setting. This might include testing for muscle strength, reflexes, and other physical measures that might give an indication of whether there might be a further injury. Imaging tests such as a CT scan, MRI, or x-rays may be appropriate depending on whether your doctor believes there are any further considerations to investigate.
In general, most cases of sciatica will subside on their own. The type of treatment required to alleviate the pain will depend largely on what is causing it. The sciatica sufferer can easily self-treat at home using conservative options such as alternating cold and hot packs, taking anti-inflammatory medication, bed rest, and altering their activities. Treatments that can be done in a clinical setting include spinal injections and physical therapy among others. In more severe cases spine surgery may be an option if other methods have not been successful in alleviating the pain.
Back & Neck Pain
HOW WE CAN HELP
If you are experiencing back pain and neck pain and have been unable to get relief with any other treatments, it might be time to see a specialist to help you with your condition. Dr. Jennifer McMonigle Medical PC of East Northport, NY has worked with many patients to pinpoint the cause of their problems and develop an effective pain relief plan. You shouldn’t need to suffer with back and neck pain if there are treatment options that could improve your condition.
SEVERITY
Back pain and neck pain are incredibly common complaints and most people will have an episode of one or the other at some point in their lives. Minor pains could occur from sleeping in a strange position or being on your feet too long one day. With some rest, these types of issues will likely heal themselves and no further treatment will be required. The more concerning scenario is when pain becomes a chronic issue that you repeatedly experience, or if the onset of pain occurred just after a traumatic injury. This type of pain may point to something more serious and it is important to investigate to rule out anything else contributing to the pain. Doing so will help you and your doctor determine if your pain may be the result of another medical issue that needs immediate attention. Determining the correct diagnosis for your back pain or neck pain is critical to getting you the proper treatment and providing necessary relief.
CAUSES
Back pain and neck pain can be the result of many different conditions or lifestyle habits, so each case tends to be very unique. For example, pain in the upper back may be the result of poor posture, athletic injury, or perhaps a work injury due to heavy lifting. Other types of pain may be caused by soft tissue damage, ruptured disks, arthritis, osteoporosis, and muscle or ligament strain among many others. Communicating effectively with a medical professional about your history and the symptoms you are experiencing is crucial to getting to the bottom the issue.
TREATMENT
The degree of severity and how long a person has been living with the pain may give your doctor some indication of the cause. A neurologist may look at the support structures of the bone or discs in the back to see if there are any abnormalities that might be putting undue pressure on the nearby nerves. EMG testing can be used to check reaction times of nerves and muscles to determine that these systems are functioning well or if there might be an underlying problem.
There is a range of treatments available including rest, lifestyle changes, physical therapy, use of pain medication and anti-inflammatories. In more severe cases surgery may be the best and most effective option. You’ll be able to discuss the best course of action with your neurologist after a thorough evaluation.
