Sciatica (Lumbar Radiculopathy) Treatment in Palm Coast, FL

When pain shoots from your lower back down through your leg, sitting, sleeping, and standing all stop being simple. Sciatica is one of the most common problems we treat at Seaside Spine and Pain Center — and one of the most treatable.

What sciatica feels like

Sciatica rarely stays put. It usually starts in the lower back or buttock, then travels — a sharp, burning, or electric pain running down the back of one leg, sometimes all the way to the foot. You might also notice:

• Tingling or “pins and needles” in the leg or foot
• Numb patches along the outside of the calf or foot
• Weakness — a foot that slaps or drags, or a leg that gives out on stairs
• Pain that worsens with sitting, coughing, or sneezing

Many people push through it for months, arranging their lives around it: standing at the back of church, skipping the drive to see grandchildren, sleeping in a recliner. You don’t have to negotiate with this pain indefinitely — it has a physical cause, and the cause can be treated.

What’s actually happening in your spine

“Sciatica” describes the symptom; lumbar radiculopathy is the diagnosis. The nerve roots that exit your lower (lumbar) spine join to form the sciatic nerve, which travels through the hip and down each leg. When one of those nerve roots is compressed or irritated — most often by a herniated disc, a bone spur, or narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis) — the pain registers along the nerve’s entire path. That’s why a problem in your back is felt in your leg.

How we find the source

Effective treatment starts with knowing exactly which nerve root is involved and why. Dr. Manuel López, a board-certified pain management and rehabilitation physician, begins with a focused history and physical exam — where the pain travels tells us a great deal on its own. From there, your workup may include:

• Imaging (MRI or CT) to see the disc, joint, and canal anatomy directly
• Diagnostic injections, delivered with precise image guidance, which can confirm the pain source by numbing one suspected nerve root at a time

This precision matters: treating the wrong level helps no one. Confirming the right one is what makes the treatments below work.

How we treat it

Most sciatica improves without surgery. Our approach is stepwise — starting with the least invasive option that fits your case, and escalating only if needed. Depending on your diagnosis, Dr. López may recommend:

Every plan is individual. At your consultation, Dr. López will walk you through which options apply to your case and why.

When to seek care promptly

Most sciatica is not an emergency — but see a doctor immediately if leg pain comes with loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or rapidly worsening leg weakness. These can signal serious nerve compression that needs urgent attention.

For everything short of that: if leg pain has lasted more than a couple of weeks, or keeps returning, it’s worth finding out why. Early answers beat months of guessing.

Get answers about your leg pain

You’ve adapted around this pain long enough. Dr. López and the Seaside Spine and Pain Center team will find the source and build a treatment plan that fits your case — starting with a conversation.

Call (386) 222-7746 or request an appointment.