Sciatica Treatment in New Jersey

If sharp, radiating pain is shooting from your lower back down through your buttock and leg, you may be dealing with sciatica — and you don’t have to just live with it. At Empire Minimally Invasive Spine and Pain, our board-certified pain management physicians treat sciatica for patients across northern New Jersey from our Clifton office, using precise, minimally invasive care aimed at the real source of the nerve pain. Most people improve without surgery.

Medically reviewed by Dr. John Akhnoukh, M.D. — Board-certified in Anesthesiology & Interventional Pain Management · Last reviewed August 2026 · Empire Minimally Invasive Spine & Pain

What sciatica is

Sciatica is leg pain caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve or the nerve roots that feed it in the lower spine. It usually affects one side and can bring burning or shooting pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that travels below the knee. The most common causes are a herniated or bulging disc, spinal stenosis, or a pinched nerve root. Because several conditions can produce the same leg pain, an accurate diagnosis is the first step — you can read more on our sciatica condition page.

How we treat sciatica in New Jersey

Our approach is step-up care: start with the least invasive option that can resolve the problem, and reserve advanced procedures for when they’re truly needed. Depending on what’s driving your sciatica, treatment at our Clifton office may include:

• Epidural steroid injections to calm inflammation around an irritated nerve root
• Nerve blocks and facet injections to pinpoint and quiet a pain source
• Physical therapy coordination and activity guidance to take pressure off the nerve
• Minimally invasive decompression for stenosis-related sciatica
• Endoscopic discectomy for the right candidate when a disc fragment is the culprit

For at-home relief while you wait to be seen, our guides on how to relieve sciatica and how long sciatica lasts walk through what helps and what to expect.

Why New Jersey patients choose Empire

Our Clifton office in Passaic County gives northern New Jersey patients convenient access to advanced, minimally invasive pain care close to home — an easy trip for patients across Clifton, Passaic, Montclair, Nutley, Garfield, Woodland Park, and Bloomfield, as well as our Plainfield and Montville, NJ locations. Our physicians focus on interventional pain management: finding the exact source of your sciatica with a careful exam and imaging, then treating it directly rather than jumping to surgery.

Prefer to compare all our locations first? See our sciatica specialists across New York and New Jersey. We also treat sciatica from work injuries and motor-vehicle accidents, and can coordinate the documentation those claims require. Same-week evaluations are usually available, and our team will verify your insurance coverage before your visit.

Frequently asked questions

How is sciatica treated without surgery?

Most sciatica improves with non-surgical care: activity guidance, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory measures, and image-guided injections such as an epidural steroid injection to calm the irritated nerve. Surgery is considered only when conservative care hasn’t relieved the pain or there are warning signs.

How soon can I be seen for sciatica in New Jersey?

Same-week evaluations are usually available at our Clifton office. Call 732-630-7246 to schedule with our pain management team.

Which areas do you serve from the Clifton office?

We care for patients across northern New Jersey, including Clifton, Passaic, Montclair, Nutley, Garfield, Woodland Park, and Bloomfield, plus our Plainfield and Montville, NJ locations.

Do you treat sciatica from a car accident or work injury?

Yes. We treat sciatica from motor-vehicle-accident and workers’ compensation injuries and can help coordinate the documentation those claims require — bring your claim information to your first visit.

When should sciatica be treated urgently?

Seek prompt care for new or worsening leg weakness, a foot that drops, numbness in the groin or saddle area, or loss of bladder or bowel control. These need urgent evaluation rather than waiting.