Patient Story: Relief After 28 Years of Sciatica
"I’ve had symptoms for just over 28 years. During my first pregnancy, about halfway through, I started having severe pain that kept me up at night. The pain was centered in my buttock and ran down the back of my leg."
This description is a textbook example of classic sciatica—pain that radiates from the buttock down the leg, sometimes accompanied by or without low back pain. In this patient’s case, the lumbar spine was completely normal, which can make diagnosis more complicated.
"The first treatment I received helped for about three months, and I thought I was in the clear—no surgery needed. But when I had a second treatment, the relief only lasted a few days before the pain returned."
Determined to find a lasting solution, the patient and her husband researched extensively and ultimately found Dr. Williams.
"In cases where someone has true sciatica with a normal lumbar spine, the next most likely site for the nerve to be compressed is in the buttock area. Specifically, it can be caused by a muscle that crosses over and presses against the sciatic nerve."
In this case, the solution was surgical. Dr. Williams removed the muscle compressing the nerve, which resolved the long-standing pain.
"Since I had the surgery, it’s been great. The pain no longer keeps me awake at night—it’s honestly a miracle. Before surgery, my average pain level was probably a 9 or 10. Now, it's more like a 1 or 2 at most."
Even everyday activities became manageable again.
"We went grocery shopping the very next day and I had no problems walking. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing that, but I felt great!"
When asked if she considered the surgery a success, she answered without hesitation:
“Absolutely.”
