10. Surgery

If you’ve tried other methods of treatment of sciatica and are still having bouts of pain and discomfort, surgery may be your only recourse. If you’re legs are becoming noticeably weaker, or if severe leg pain has persisted for more than a month or if every day activities are becoming insurmountable, there are a number of minor surgical procedures that a specialist may recommend.

If you’re sciatica is cause by a herniated disc, a procedure called microdiscectomy could be used to open up a small area around the lower back to remove just the piece of disc that is protruding. If your sciatica is brought on by a narrowing of the spine, a case most often found in those above age 50, a lumbar laminectomy could be used to remove little bits of bone or protrusions that pinch or irritate the sciatic nerve. In the end, only you can decide if surgery is the right course of action. Talk to your doctor to set up an appointment with a specialist. If you’ve been suffering acute, severe pain for more than a month, surgery might be the key to freedom you’ve been looking for.