May 05, 2011

Q. I am six months pregnant and have developed shooting pain down my leg, which I think is sciatica. What are the causes, and what course of treatment should I consider during my pregnancy?

It’s not unusual for pregnant women to have multiple maladies that temporarily manifest themselves then disappear after pregnancy. Some pregnant women may suffer from sciatica, which is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve.

The sciatic nerve is actually a cluster of nerves that exits the lumbar spine, enters the buttocks, and then travels down the leg into the foot. for this reason, a major symptom of sciatica is shooting pain from the buttock down the back of the leg into the foot. The pain can vary from moderate severity to completely disabling.

The pain is usually caused by compression of the sciatic nerve and is commonly the result of a degenerative or herniated disk. While most cases clear up in time, patients suffering from extreme pain or loss of bowel and bladder function may require urgent surgical intervention to address the source of the issue.

If a herniated disk is indeed the cause of a patient’s sciatica, rest, pain management and physical therapy interventions such as core strengthening exercises are the first steps toward recovery. Normally the pain and symptoms will go away after pregnancy, but in a small percentage of patients these symptoms could persist or recur at a later time.

If the patient’s pain and quality of life has not improved after the pregnancy, the patient should consult her physician or a spine surgeon for an accurate diagnosis and a review of surgical and non-surgical treatment options.

They may elect a minimally invasive procedure called a microdiscectomy or microdecompression surgery to remove the protruding part of the disk. A slightly more invasive procedure, referred to as a lumbar laminectomy, entails a bigger incision and involves manipulating more tissue around the disc. an additional cutting-edge surgery for patients with severely damaged discs is the artificial disc replacement where the entire disc is replaced with a prosthesis.

Patients should consult their physician and/or a spine surgeon to determine the best treatment options.

Allister Williams, MD, is board-certified by the Board of Orthopedic Surgery. He practices orthopedic surgery at the Mountain Valley Orthopedic Group, East Stroudsburg.

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I think I may have passed a kidney stone which is now in my bladder, but I'm not sure. about a week ago I started having a lot of pain and cramping feelings in the side of my lower abdomen and some minor cramping in my bladder accompanied by urgency to "go". the next day, the pain in my side was less, but the pressure in my bladder was more. the doctor put me on antibiotics thinking it could be an infection, but there is no burning when I go. After 4 days on antibiotics, I still have pain and pressure in my bladder. could this be a stone and not an infection?

Extreme pain when you need to urinate.

Talk to your doctor again, or talk to another doctor.

YOu need to see a doctor soon. see if you can get in to see a urologist.
It could be stones. most people with stones have such bad pain that they end up in the Emergency Room.

Ask the doctor if he culturled the urine. if it doesn't show an infection you don't need to be on an anti biotic.

There is a disease called Interstisial Cystitis that the doctor might need to check you out for if you don't have stones or an infection.

You definatlyl need medical care.

So I was diagnosed with colitis a few months ago after going to the ER and getting a CT scan (lovely price that was, I might add). I looked online after the diagnosis and found it odd that I was diagnosed with that even though I hadn't been experiencing any of the GI symptoms, like diarrhea or abdominal pain. It just felt inflamed and irritated and more painful when I ate or drank particular things.

A few months later, any extreme pain has subsided, but the irritation continues. I've been taking probiotics, which have helped quite a bit, but occasionally there's still this annoying feeling like it's slightly irritated. I've been eating more fiber and have been making sure to avoid alcohol and other foods that bother it.

Any thoughts? I could go see a doctor but I'd like to avoid another extremely high bill!