Sciatica and Herniated Disc Treatment in Dallas
Pain that runs from your low back down your leg often starts at a disc. We find what is pressing on the nerve, and we tell you plainly if we can help you or if another provider would best serve you.
What You Might Be Feeling
Common Ways People Describe It
Sciatica is pain along the path of the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back through the hip and down the leg. A herniated or bulging disc is one of the most common reasons that nerve gets irritated. People tend to say:
- "A shooting pain from my low back down my leg"
- "Numbness or tingling in my foot or toes"
- "It's worse when I sit, cough or sneeze"
- "My leg feels weak or heavy"
- "My MRI says I have a bulging disc, and I don't know what that means"
How a Disc Causes Sciatica
Each disc is a cushion between two spinal bones, with a soft center inside a tougher outer ring. When the center pushes against or through the ring, it can press on or irritate a nearby nerve. That is a herniated disc, and a bulging disc is a milder version. The irritated nerve is what sends pain, numbness or tingling down your leg.
Not every disc finding on an MRI causes symptoms. Disc bulges show up on the scans of many people who have no pain at all, so your exam matters as much as the scan.
Common Causes
- A herniated or bulging disc
- Tight muscles deep in the hip and buttock
- Narrowed spaces where the nerves leave the spine
- Repeated bending and lifting, or long hours sitting
- How your spine, hips and pelvis move together
What Shapes Your Timeline
Recovery times are all over the place with sciatica. Your timeline depends on what is irritating the nerve, how long it has been building, how your spine and hips move, your work and daily load, and how your symptoms respond as the plan changes. We reassess along the way and adjust the plan as you change.
We track your leg pain, strength and movement from the first visit. If your leg pain is not improving after about six weeks, we talk through next steps together. That can mean an MRI, which we can order, and a referral when it is warranted.
What Treatment Looks Like Here
You work 1-on-1 with Dr. Lovelace and have direct access to the doctor at every visit. We start with an exam, usually including a 3D movement assessment, so your plan comes from measurements instead of guesses. Which tools we use after that depends on what the exam finds and what you need, and that can include building strength where your measurements show it will help. We reassess as we go so you can see what is changing.
Back and leg pain often has a source away from where it hurts. Your 3D movement assessment gives us baseline measurements of how your spine, hips and pelvis move, so the plan targets the root cause. See how 3D movement assessment works →
Common Approaches
- Pain-free activity and stretching are a reasonable place to start.
- Strengthening the muscles that support your spine and hips is often part of recovery, and it can help keep symptoms from coming back.
- Physical therapy and injections are options to talk through with Dr. Lovelace.
- Prescription medication is a conversation to have with your medical doctor or PCP.
- Surgery is an option for specific situations.
- Our approach adds measurement and a plan built around your root cause.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions We Hear
No. Sciatica is the symptom: pain, numbness or tingling along the sciatic nerve. A herniated disc is one common cause. Tight muscles in the hip and buttock, or narrowed spaces around the nerves, can cause it too. That's why we start with an exam instead of assuming.
Not for most people. Most disc-related sciatica improves without surgery. Surgery is an option for specific situations, and we'll talk through what that looks like for you.
Yes. We order imaging when your exam or your progress calls for it, and we share the results with your MD or spine surgeon. Not everyone needs an MRI right away. Many people improve before imaging would change the plan.
More About Your Care
Individual results vary. This page is educational and doesn't replace an exam or care from your physician. If you think you are having an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.