Loading...
Most patients with sciatica eventually improve, but symptoms can be quite disabling for extended periods. In 2020, two studies informed management of this disorder.
In a Canadian randomized trial, 128 patients whose sciatica had persisted for 4 to 12 months underwent either microdiscectomy or “conservative care.” At enrollment, leg pain was substantial — the average was 8 points on a 10-point scale. At 6 months, pain had decreased by 5 points with surgery and by 3 points with conservative care — a significant difference that persisted through 12 months. Other outcomes (e.g., back pain, disability) also favored discectomy at 6 and 12 months. Although one third of conservative-care patients crossed over to surgery during the follow-up year, ou…