DrSarangGotechaPCMC

Back pain is incredibly common. But there is a specific kind of back pain that deserves a different level of attention — the kind that does not stay in your back. It travels. It shoots down one leg, sometimes all the way to the foot. It tingles, burns, or causes a strange weakness in the calf or thigh. If this sounds familiar, you may be dealing with a compressed spinal nerve, and it is worth understanding your options before the situation worsens. As a  Neurosurgeon in PCMC , Dr. Sarang Gotecha sees this pattern regularly — patients who have been quietly managing radiating back pain for months, often assuming it will resolve on its own, only to find that it has started affecting their sleep, their work, and their quality of life in ways they did not anticipate. Why Does Back Pain Radiate Down the Leg? The spine is a column of bones (vertebrae) stacked on top of each other, with soft, cushion-like discs between them. These discs absorb shock and allow movement. Over time — due to a...

When people hear the word “spine surgery,” the first thought is usually fear. A Spine Surgeon in PCMC often meets patients who imagine a large incision, long hospital stays and months of bed rest. But the reality today is very different. Medical advancements over the last two decades have completely changed how spine problems are treated, and most people are still holding on to outdated information. Let’s break down what spine surgery actually looks like today, and what people commonly misunderstand about it. The Biggest Myth: Surgery Means a Long Recovery One of the most common fears is that surgery will leave you bedridden for weeks. This used to be true many years ago, when open surgeries required large cuts and significant muscle disruption. Today, minimally invasive spine surgery has changed that picture. Surgeons now use advanced tools and cameras that allow them to operate through very small incisions. In many cases, the cut is less than an inch. Because the surrounding mus...