I had coolsculpt; it cured my sciatic nerve pain. Why?

There are no studies regarding coolsculpting and sciatic nerve pain. Coolsculpting is an excellent form of non-invasive  fat reduction for
the right patient. Some applicators take 1 or 2 hours but the new advantage
applicators take only 35 minutes and have significantly less risk for delayed
onset pain (especially in the abdomen). Results are seen at 2 months and
typically 1-3 treatments will be necessary on each area to achieve ideal
results. The number of treatments depends on the amount of fat there and the
patient's goals.  There is not downtime and the results can be impressive
in the right patient.  We also use the Zimmer Z-wave for improved patient
comfort and added results. The best candidates are those who are in pretty
good shape with areas of stubborn fat that won't go away no matter what.

My best,

Sheila Nazarian, MD, MMM

Beverly Hills, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

This is an interesting question, and I would be curious to know more specific details about your situation and what led to the elimination of your pain. There is no direct correlation between CoolSculpting® and sciatic nerve pain. The handheld device used during CoolSculpting® is simply not capable of penetrating far enough to affect the nerve and is only designed to target visceral fat beneath the skin’s surface. With that said, if there’s no other reason for the elimination of your pain, I wonder if this is a secondary benefit. Meaning, it could be possible that by eliminating fat from your abdomen, less weight and pressure is now placed on your spine and this somehow resolved the pain. Regardless, this is wonderful news. My advice would be to avoid future weight gain and work to strengthen your core in an effort to keep future pain at bay. Best of luck.

Dear samk1234:Excess fat in the abdominal area can cause or worsen sciatica by pulling the spine forward and out of its optimal alignment. Weakness of the abdominal muscles can also cause the spine to move out of alignment and contribute to sciatica. Perhaps by reducing the fat that was pulling your spine forward, there is now less stress on the sciatic nerve.So glad you had an unexpected benefit from the procedure! Keep your abs strong to help prevent a recurrence.  All the best,   Dr. Clark