Institute for Nerve medicine

09/20/2016

https://youtu.be/BFZ_zNDNfcc

Many people diagnosed with "sciatica" - pain that runs from their buttocks to their feet - may actually have piriformis syndrome. Dr. Aaron Filler of the Ins...

09/20/2016

https://youtu.be/g5C31dAV2j8

Join Dr. Aaron Filler, MD PhD FRCS, of the Institute for Nerve Medicine (http://www.nervemed.com) as he discusses state-of-the-art treatment strategies for P...

09/20/2016

Animation: Critical physical exam for muscle based piriformis syndrome.

The patient’s foot is placed lateral to the contralateral knee. Resisted abduction or adduction against the examiner’s hand may reproduce the symptoms. Straight leg raising is typically negative.

There is often relief obtained by traction on the involved leg, particularly by pulling upwards at a ten to twenty degree angle and towards the contralateral side by a similar amount. The distribution of symptoms typically involves both L5 (big toe) and S1 (small toe) components because this a pan-sciatic syndrome. The symptoms often progress no further than the ankle in distinction to sciatica from a lumbar disk which typically radiates into the toes.

09/20/2016

The nerve-related leg pain of Sciatica is often due to piriformis muscle syndrome. Unlike the sciatica from a herniated disk, there is often little or no back pain while buttock pain predominates. The pain is worse when sitting, relieved by standing or walking, and often extends no farther down the leg than the ankle or mid-foot. When toes are involved, it usually affects all five toes.

This drawing illustrates the important anatomy for piriformis syndrome and shows how certain leg positions pull the piriformis muscle up against the sciatic nerve causing buttock pain and radiating leg pain

09/20/2016

Get the correct diagnosis on the sciatic nerve pain you’re experiencing



Piriformis Syndrome is more pervasive than many physicians realize. For example, in the United States each year, 1.5 million people have lumbar MRI scans to look for the cause of the buttock and leg pain called “sciatica.”

Yet more than 1.2 million of those scans fail to find the cause in the spine. Three hundred thousand of the scans are sufficiently positive that the patient has lumbar spine surgery. And of the 300,000 surgeries, as many as 25% fail to relieve the pain — in many cases because the diagnosis of a spinal cause for the sciatica was incorrect.

Piriformis syndrome also causes sciatica. Its treatment is much less invasive and severe than the treatment of herniated lumbar disks. However, many doctors never consider piriformis syndrome as a possible diagnosis. Many physicians who are aware of it are uncertain how to properly diagnose and treat it.

Dr. Aaron Filler credits the advent of MR Neurography and Open MR injection techniques with new large-scale outcome as leading to the successful diagnosis and treatment of many more sciatica sufferers.

We have three sections of content below focused on piriformis syndrome. They include:
•Information
•Diagnosis
•Treatment

Please review our TOS information, and complete the response form on this page to request an appointment with the Institute for Nerve Medicine and Dr. Aaron Filler in Santa Monica, California.

09/20/2016

We Are The Leading Resource for Nerve and Spine Health Information



When your back, legs, head or spine hurt, you just want relief. And that’s why people come to NerveMed – we offer a comprehensive set of articles on spine and nerve health issues that can give you the information you need to better communicate with your physician.

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No website can substitute for a direct medical examination by a qualified health care professional. If you are in pain, we urge you to contact your primary care physician immediately for treatment. NerveMed is a resource but is not intended to supplant real, in-person medical attention.

If you’re seeking more information about a condition you or a loved one may have been diagnosed with, or if you’re simply seeking more information about these types of conditions, NerveMed is ready to help.

Our site is separated into two main article categories: Disorders and Procedures. The various Disorders cover the main areas of nerve and spine health: Nerve Disorders, Spinal Disorders, and Cranial Disorders. Procedures covers the latest, minimally invasive techniques for providing relief for these disorders.

We also have a Video section with content prepared by Dr. Aaron G. Filler, MD PhD, director of the Institute for Nerve Medicine, the Santa Monica, California-based medical consultancy that publishes NerveMed. We encourage you to take a few moments to watch these videos to learn more about some of the more common afflictions Dr. Filler sees and treats at INM.

And, of course, NerveMed is ready to offer more information and assistance simply by filling out our Contact form (below). All inquiries are handled by the staff of the Institute for Nerve Medicine. You may also contact INM during normal business hours at 866-41-NERVES.

Thank you for your visit to NerveMed. We hope our site will be able to give you the information you seek on your path to spine and nerve health.