Taming the pain of sciatica: For most people, time heals and less is more

By: Steven J. Atlas, MD, MPH, Contributor Despite being a less common cause of low back pain, sciatica is still something I regularly see as a general internist. Primary care doctors can and should manage sciatica, because for most individuals the body can fix the problem. My job is to help manage the pain while the body does its job. When a person’s symptoms don’t improve, I discuss the role of surgery or an…