Sciatica is a common source of lower back pain and nerve-based discomfort. It is often caused by nerve irritation or compression from a herniated spinal disc. The good news is there is a minimally invasive surgery for sciatica—a procedure known as a microdiscectomy. This article discusses various treatments for sciatica, including surgical options.
Getting a Diagnosis First
Sciatica is often caused by a herniated disc, but not always. For this reason, it is important to see your doctor to find out for sure what is causing your sciatica symptoms. If the symptoms turn out to be associated with a herniated spinal disc, surgery may be discussed and potentially recommended.
Microdiscectomy as a Last Resort
Rarely is surgery for sciatica absolutely necessary. Before you consider having a microdiscectomy, make sure you have explored all possible nonsurgical options. Possibilities include:
• Physical therapy
• Medication to minimize inflammation
• Hot and cold therapy to manage pain and inflammation
• Massage therapy
• Nonsurgical decompression to gently shift the spinal disc so it is not significantly irritating the sciatic nerve
• Posture improvement exercises
• Gentle forms of exercise to strengthen nearby muscles and other soft tissue
How Is a Microdiscectomy Performed?
A microdiscectomy is considered minimally invasive because it is performed with a small incision. Additionally, special instruments are used to gently move muscle tissues out of the way. There is no need to cut or remove muscle tissue, which further minimizes disruption to the area around the affected spinal disc. Since a microdiscectomy is not too invasive, patients are typically able to return home the same day with nothing more than a surgical bandage over the incision site.
Recovering from a Microdiscectomy
Many patients recover from microdiscectomies after 4–6 weeks. It is also often possible to return to your regular routines much sooner than what would be possible following a traditional discectomy. During microdiscectomy surgery, only part of the protruding disc material is removed to preserve as much of the spinal disc as possible. A minimally invasive discectomy also includes the following benefits:
• Fewer surgical risks
• A shorter recovery period
• Less post-surgery discomfort
When to Consider a Microdiscectomy for Sciatica
Sciatica symptoms are nerve based, since the sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the body. Therefore, it is common for patients with sciatica to have leg and lower body pain. If you are experiencing this type of discomfort, a microdiscectomy may be recommended if your sciatica symptoms are severe or if any of the following factors apply:
• You are having difficulty with mobility
• You have had little or no success with nonsurgical treatments after several months
• You are having difficulty sleeping and going about your daily routines because of your sciatica symptoms
• Your leg or lower back pain has become nearly debilitating
• You want to lessen your dependence on medication
Patients who have had discectomies for herniated discs may experience sciatica if their discs reherniate, which often occurs if there is a large hole in the outer ring of the disc after surgery. Fortunately, there is a new treatment shown to reduce the risk of reherniation by closing the hole in the disc after a discectomy. This treatment is done immediately following the discectomy—during the same operation—and does not require any additional incisions or time in the hospital. Barricaid was proven 95 percent effective in a study of over 500 patients, meaning 95 percent of patients did not experience a reoperation due to reherniation in a 2-year study timeframe.
If you have any questions about the Barricaid treatment, ask your doctor or contact us at 844-705-1081.
For full benefit/risk information, please visit: https://www.barricaid.com/instructions.
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