Leg Pain & Weakness

Some common causes of sciatica:

• Herniated disc: This is the most common cause of sciatica. Herniated disc is when the jelly-like center of a disc pushes through the disc. It is also called a slipped disc or bulging disc. Your spine is made up of vertebrae (bones) and discs sit between the vertebrae, cushioning them. If the jelly-like center of a disc starts slipping through or coming out, whether due to injury, wear and tear, trauma, or another reason – this is a herniated disc.
• Pregnancy: The expanding uterus puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. This will most likely go away after the baby is born.
• Spinal stenosis: This is a narrowing of the spine, which puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. It happens gradually over time, mainly because of aging.
• Degenerative disc disease: Degeneration of one or more discs in the spine, usually due to aging.
• Arthritis: Spinal osteoarthritis is when the cartilage of the joints and discs breaks down. The main symptoms are swelling and pain. Osteoarthritis can cause bone spurs that put pressure on nerves.
• Injury or infection: These are less likely causes but sudden trauma as from an injury can lead to sciatica.

The most common symptoms that may accompany leg pain are:

• Weakness: Leg weakness commonly occurs when a lumbar and/or sacral spinal nerve is compressed. A feeling of heaviness3 in the affected leg may make it difficult to lift the foot off the floor (foot drop).
• Altered sensation: When a nerve is affected, a pins-and-needles sensation, tingling, or other nerve-related sensations may occur in the affected leg.
• Foot pain: The leg pain may travel down into one or more areas of the foot, causing an ache or a burning pain. Foot weakness and/or numbness may also occur.
• Postural pain: Leg pain and numbness may increase with certain postures or activities, such as standing for a prolonged period of time, walking, climbing stairs, or standing up from a sitting position.

The following treatments may be used to treat leg pain & weakness:

Outpatient Spine Surgery

• Lumbar microdiscectomy
• Lumbar laminectomy

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

• Microdiscectomy (cervical and lumbar)
• X-Stop (interspinous process decompression)

Decompressions

• Laminectomy
• Laminotomy
• Foraminotomy

Pain Management (Spine)

• HF10 Spinal Cord Stimulator