Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Female Athlete Health Domains: A Supplement To The International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement On Methods For Recording And Reporting Epidemiological Data On Injury And Illness In Sport., Isabel S Moore, Kay M Crossley, Kari Bo, Margo Mountjoy, Kathryn E Ackerman, Juliana Da Silva Antero, Jorunn Sundgot Borgen, Wendy J Brown, Caroline S Bolling, Benjamin Clarsen, Wayne Derman, Paul Dijkstra, Amber Donaldson, Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, Carolyn A Emery, Lene Haakstad, Astrid Junge, Nonhlanhla S Mkumbuzi, Sophia Nimphius, Debbie Palmer, Mireille Van Poppel, Jane S Thornton, Rita Tomás, Phathokuhle C Zondi, Evert Verhagen

Family Medicine Publications

The IOC made recommendations for recording and reporting epidemiological data on injuries and illness in sports in 2020, but with little, if any, focus on female athletes. Therefore, the aims of this supplement to the IOC consensus statement are to (i) propose a taxonomy for categorisation of female athlete health problems across the lifespan; (ii) make recommendations for data capture to inform consistent recording and reporting of symptoms, injuries, illnesses and other health outcomes in sports injury epidemiology and (iii) make recommendations for specifications when applying the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology-Sport Injury and Illness Surveillance (STROBE-SIIS) …

The Importance Of Gender-Neutral Terminology In Risk Evaluation And Mitigation Strategy Programs: A Call To Action., Colin Burnette, William Smithy, Daniel Strock, Torunn E. Sivesind, Robert Dellavalle

HPD Articles

The use of risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) programs is frequently required for prescriptions with potentially teratogenic effects, especially in the field of dermatology. Among these REMS programs, the most well-known example is isotretinoin, an oral retinoid that uses the iPLEDGE system. iPLEDGE has strict regulations and a lengthy approval process, and until recently, patients were grouped into 3 categories: male, female, or female of reproductive potential. This strict grouping has posed problems in the medical community, especially for gender-diverse individuals where their perceived gender conflates with their assigned grouping causing patient-specific distress. The distinction between gender-a multifactorial perception …

Gabaergic Synaptic Scaling Is Triggered By Changes In Spiking Activity Rather Than Transmitter Receptor Activation, Carlos Gonzalez-Islas, Zahraa Sabra, Ming-Fai Fong, Pernille Bülow, Nicholas Au Yong, Kathrin Engisch, Peter Wenner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Homeostatic plasticity represents a set of mechanisms that are thought to recover some aspect of neural function. One such mechanism called AMPAergic scaling was thought to be a likely candidate to homeostatically control spiking activity. However, recent findings have forced us to reconsider this idea as several studies suggest AMPAergic scaling is not directly triggered by changes in spiking. Moreover, studies examining homeostatic perturbations in vivo have suggested that GABAergic synapses may be more critical in terms of spiking homeostasis. Here we show results that GABAergic scaling can act to homeostatically control spiking levels. We find that increased or decreased …

Endoscopic Transcecal Appendectomy (Eta): A Literature Review On Risks And Benefits, Basil N. Nduma, Kelly A. Mofor, Jason Tatang, Loica Amougou, Stephen Nkeonye, Princess Chineme, Chukwuyem Ekhator, Solomon Ambe

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Different colorectal lesions have attracted different procedures in their management. One of the novel approaches that have been documented in recent times is endoscopic transcecal appendectomy (ETA). ETA is an endoscopic and less invasive approach to the excision of lesions within the appendix. The appendix is also completely resected in the process. The main aim of this paper is to establish some of the benefits and risks that come with ETA. The study was conducted from a systematic review perspective using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, which governs the implementation of systematic reviews. Key …

Heterogeneity In The Effect Of Marked Weight Loss On Metabolic Function In Women With Obesity, Bettina Mittendorfer, Brandon D. Kayser, Mihoko Yoshino, Jun Yoshino, Jeramie D. Watrous, Mohit Jain, J. Christopher Eagon, Bruce W. Patterson, Samuel Klein

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUNDThere is considerable heterogeneity in the effect of weight loss on metabolic function in people with obesity.METHODSWe evaluated muscle and liver insulin sensitivity, body composition, and circulating factors associated with insulin action before and after approximately 20% weight loss in women identified as "Responders" (n = 11) or "Non-responders" (n = 11), defined as the top (>75% increase) and bottom (<5% increase) quartiles of the weight loss-induced increase in glucose disposal rate (GDR) during a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp procedure, among 43 women with obesity (BMI: 44.1 ± 7.9 kg/m2).RESULTSAt baseline, GDR, which provides an index of muscle insulin sensitivity, and the hepatic insulin sensitivity index were more than 50% lower in Responders than Non-responders, but both increased much more after weight loss in Responders than Non-responders, which eliminated the differences between groups. Weight loss also caused greater decreases in intrahepatic triglyceride content and plasma adiponectin and PAI-1 concentrations in Responders than Non-responders and greater insulin-mediated suppression of plasma free fatty acids, branched-chain amino acids, and C3/C5 acylcarnitines in Non-responders than Responders, so that differences between groups at baseline were no longer present after weight loss. The effect of weight loss on total body fat mass, intra-abdominal adipose tissue volume, adipocyte size, and circulating inflammatory markers were not different between groups.CONCLUSIONThe results from our study demonstrate that the heterogeneity in the effects of marked weight loss on muscle and hepatic insulin sensitivity in people with obesity is determined by baseline insulin action, and reaches a ceiling when "normal" insulin action is achieved.TRIAL REGISTRATIONNCT00981500, NCT01299519, NCT02207777.FUNDINGNIH grants P30 DK056341, P30 DK020579, P30 DK052574, UL1 TR002345, and T32 HL13035, the American Diabetes Association (1-18-ICTS-119), the Longer Life Foundation (2019-011), and the Atkins Philanthropic Trust.

The Determinants Of Sustained Adherence To Covid-19 Preventive Measures Among Older Syrian Refugees In Lebanon, Nisreen Salti, Stephen J. Mccall, Berthe Abi Zeid, Noura El Salibi, Marwan Alawieh, Zeinab Ramadan, Hala Ghattas Ph.D, Sawsan Abdulrahim

Faculty Publications

Introduction Lebanon has battled the COVID-19 pandemic in the midst of an economic crisis. The evolution of the pandemic and a fragile health system have meant that public health policy has had to rely heavily on non-pharmaceutical interventions for disease control. However, changes in disease dynamics, an unraveling economy, and pandemic fatigue have meant that disease control policies need to be updated. Methods Using recent and timely data on older (50 years and above) Syrian refugees in Lebanon, this paper uses multivariate linear probability models to explore the determinants of adherence to two non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 prevention measures (wearing a mask …

Cultural Competence Guides For Covid-19 Messaging In Hispanic Communities, Madeline Huff, Shuchita V. Jhaveri, Ayesha Khan, Lina Pedraza, Maria Pesantez Borja, Daniela Santos Cantu, Chelsea Chang

School of Medicine Publications

Purpose: The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas comprises 5% percent of Texas's population yet 17%of Texas's COVID-19 deaths. We aimed to address underlying mistrust and systemic racism in our Hispanic community that contributes to health inequities by developing a cultural competence guide for public health messaging.

Methods: We employed a mixed method design (e.g., focus groups, surveys, interviews) to develop and implement a cultural competence guide in an iterative community-informed process. We created a general cultural competence guide, one for the Hispanic community and one for the hard-of-hearing community.

Results: Our cultural competence guides provide an interpretation as to …

An Artificial Intelligence (Ai)-Based Approach To Clinical Trial Recruitment: The Impact Of Viz Recruit On Enrollment In The Embolise Trial, Ameer E. Hassan, Saisree Ravi, Sohum Desai, Hamzah M. Saei, Ermias Mckennon, Wondwossen G. Tekle

School of Medicine Publications

Background

Materials and methods

Patient Experience After Geriatric Emergency Medicine Assessment, Jessica Kuxhause, Natalie Liogas, Sarah Keene, Rebecca Fisher, Lauren Cameron Comasco

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

Study Objectives

The geriatric population is increasing in size and expected to represent 20% of the United States population by 2030 per US census data estimates, with expectant increase in geriatric emergency department (ED) visits.¹ Prior research has demonstrated older adults evaluated in the ED are more likely to have an increased length of stay, more diagnostic tests, and higher overall costs than their younger counterparts, but despite consuming greater resources and staff time, older adults are still more likely to be dissatisfied with their treatment outcomes and less likely to feel that their presenting complaint has been resolved. …

An Artificial Intelligence (Ai)-Based Approach To Clinical Trial Recruitment: The Impact Of Viz Recruit On Enrollment In The Embolise Trial, Ameer E. Hassan, Saisree Ravi, Sohum K. Desai, Hamzah Saei, Ermias Mckennon, Wondwossen G. Tekle

School of Medicine Publications

Background: EMBOLISE (NCT04402632) is an ongoing randomized controlled trial investigating the safety and efficacy of middle meningeal artery embolization for the treatment of subacute or chronic subdural hematoma (SDH). Viz RECRUIT SDH is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based software platform that can automatically detect SDH in noncontrast computed tomography (NCHCT) images and report the volume, maximum thickness, and midline shift. We hypothesized that the mobile recruitment platform would aid enrollment and coordinate communication and image sharing among the entire research team.

Materials and methods: Patient enrollment in EMBOLISE prior to and after implementation of Viz RECRUIT SDH at a …

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Increases Csf Flow And Glymphatic Transport, Burhan Ozturk, Sunil Koundal, Ehab Al Bizri, Xinan Chen, Zachary Gursky, Feng Dai, Andrew Lim, Paul Heerdt, Jonathan Kipnis, Allen Tannenbaum, Hedok Lee, Helene Benveniste

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Respiration can positively influence cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow in the brain, yet its effects on central nervous system (CNS) fluid homeostasis, including waste clearance function via glymphatic and meningeal lymphatic systems, remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of supporting respiratory function via continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on glymphatic-lymphatic function in spontaneously breathing anesthetized rodents. To do this, we used a systems approach combining engineering, MRI, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and physiological testing. We first designed a nasal CPAP device for use in the rat and demonstrated that it functioned similarly to clinical devices, as evidenced by its ability …

Normal Saline Remodels The Omentum And Stimulates Its Receptivity For Transcoelomic Metastasis, Hironari Akasaka, Wonjae Lee, Song Yi Ko, Ernst Lengyel, Honami Naora

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The omentum contains immune cell structures called milky spots that are niches for transcoelomic metastasis. It is difficult to remove the omentum completely, and there are no effective strategies to minimize the risk of colonization of preserved omental tissues by cancer cells that circulate in the peritoneal fluid. Normal saline is commonly administered into the peritoneal cavity for diagnostic and intraoperative lavage. Here we show that normal saline, when administered into the peritoneal cavity of mice, is prominently absorbed by the omentum, exfoliates its mesothelium, and induces expression of CX3CL1, the ligand for CX3CR1, within and surrounding the omental vasculature. …

Using Three-Dimensional Printed Models For Trainee Orbital Fracture Education, Martina Rama, Lauren Schlegel, Douglas M. Wisner, Robert S. Pugliese, Sathyadeepak Ramesh, Robert Penne, Alison Watson

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional printing is an underutilized technology in ophthalmology training; its use must be explored in complex educational scenarios. This study described a novel approach to trainee education of orbital fracture repair utilizing three-dimensional (3D) printed models as a teaching tool.

METHODS: Ophthalmology residents and oculoplastic fellows from multiple training institutions underwent an educational session on orbital fractures, learning through four different models. Participants analyzed orbital fractures through computerized tomography (CT) imaging alone and then utilizing CT imaging with the aid of a 3D printed model. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing their understanding of the fracture pattern and surgical approach. …

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors To Decrease The Uric Acid Concentration-A Novel Mechanism Of Action, Anna Kochanowska, Przemysław Rusztyn, Karolina Szczerkowska, Stanisław Surma, Aleksandra Gąsecka, Miłosz J Jaguszewski, Łukasz Szarpak, Krzysztof J Filipiak

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are glucose-lowering agents whose positive impact on cardiovascular risk has been described extensively. Not only do they influence lipid profile, blood pressure, atherosclerosis risk, hemoglobin level, and insulin resistance, but they also reduce cardiovascular events, all-cause mortality, and hospitalization rates. Some of these effects may be due to their impact on serum uric acid (SUA) concentration. Findings from nine meta-analyses showed that, indeed, SGLT2is significantly reduce SUA. The data on the drug- and dose-dependency of this effect were inconclusive. Several factors alternating the beneficial effects of SGLT2is on SUA, such as glycated hemoglobin concentration (HbA1c), …

Global, Regional, And National Burden Of Diabetes From 1990 To 2021, With Projections Of Prevalence To 2050: A Systematic Analysis For The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2021, Kavita Batra, Numerous Authors, See List Below

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background:

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, and affects people regardless of country, age group, or sex. Using the most recent evidentiary and analytical framework from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD), we produced location-specific, age-specific, and sex-specific estimates of diabetes prevalence and burden from 1990 to 2021, the proportion of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in 2021, the proportion of the type 2 diabetes burden attributable to selected risk factors, and projections of diabetes prevalence through 2050.

Methods:

Estimates of diabetes prevalence and burden were computed in …

“I’M Still Suffering”: Mental Health Care Among Central African Refugee Populations In The Tampa Bay Area, C. Danee Ruszczyk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An estimated 500 Central African refugee families have been resettled in the Tampa Bay Area since 2002 (RPC, 2022). The cycles of trauma that they have endured place them in vulnerable positions regarding their mental health. Struggling to exist within underfunded social programs that are rigid in their expectations and with the current system of reactive care vs preventative care, the refugees in Tampa are put in a difficult situation of navigating their own health and wellbeing in lieu of having the full support of the United States government and their community. I will discuss how these refugees experience and …

Assessment Of Iso Heart Rate Method To Estimate Metabolic Rate, Karl Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Thermal equilibrium is primarily maintained by the body’s ability to dissipate internal heat generated during muscle contraction. A number of methods have been used to quantify this thermal burden such as charts and observation of workplace activities and behavior, however these have varying levels of validity. ISO 8996 defines a more accurate method of metabolic rate estimation that uses heart rate and maximal work capacity (MWC); however this requires the use of laboratory settings and equipment that are rarely available in the field. Equations such as the ACSM metabolic equation for the total energy expenditure of walking, hereafter referred to …

Adapting And Testing The Care Partner Hospital Assessment Tool For Use In Dementia Care: Protocol For A 2 Sequential Phase Study, Beth Fields, Nicole Werner, Manish N Shah, Scott Hetzel, Blair P Golden, Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi, Dorothy Farrar Edwards

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background

Research and policy demonstrate the value of and need for systematically identifying and preparing care partners for their caregiving responsibilities while their family member or friend living with dementia is hospitalized. The Care Partner Hospital Assessment Tool (CHAT) has undergone content and face validation and has been endorsed as appropriate by clinicians to facilitate the timely identification and preparation of care partners of older adult patients during their hospitalization. However, the CHAT has not yet been adapted or prospectively evaluated for use with care partners of hospitalized people living with dementia. Adapting and testing the CHAT via a pilot …

Β Cell Function After Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Or Reduced Energy Intake Alone In People With Obesity, Bettina Mittendorfer, Bruce W. Patterson, Faidon Magkos, Mihoko Yoshino, David P. Bradley, J. Christopher Eagon, Samuel Klein

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BackgroundThe effects of diet-induced weight loss (WL) and WL after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery on β cell function (BCF) are unclear because of conflicting results from different studies, presumably because of differences in the methods used to measure BCF, the amount of WL between treatment groups, and baseline BCF. We evaluated the effect of WL after RYGB surgery or reduced energy intake alone on BCF in people with obesity with and without type 2 diabetes.MethodsBCF (insulin secretion in relationship to plasma glucose) was assessed before and after glucose or mixed-meal ingestion before and after (a) progressive amounts (6%, 11%, …

Use Of Advance Directives In Us Veterans And Non-Veterans: Findings From The Decedents Of The Health And Retirement Study 1992–2014, Ho-Jui Tung, Ming-Chin Yeh

Health Policy & Community Health: Faculty Publications

Evidence shows that older patients with advance directives such as a living will, or durable power of attorney for healthcare, are more likely to receive care consistent with their preferences at the end of life. Less is known about the use of advance directives between veteran and non-veteran older Americans. Using data from the decedents of a longitudinal survey, we explore whether there is a difference in having an established advance directive between the veteran and non-veteran decedents. Data were taken from the Harmonized End of Life data sets, a linked collection of variables derived from the Health and Retirement …

Nanoparticle-Enhanced Proton Beam Immunoradiotherapy Drives Immune Activation And Durable Tumor Rejection, Yun Hu, Sébastien Paris, Narayan Sahoo, Genevieve Bertolet, Qi Wang, Qianxia Wang, Hampartsoum B Barsoumian, Jordan Da Silva, Ailing Huang, Denaha J Doss, David P Pollock, Ethan Hsu, Nanez Selene, Claudia S Kettlun Leyton, Tiffany A Voss, Fatemeh Masrorpour, Shonik Ganjoo, Carola Leuschner, Jordan T Pietz, Nahum Puebla-Osorio, Saumil Gandhi, Quynh-Nhu Nguyen, Jing Wang, Maria Angelica Cortez, James W Welsh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The combination of radiation therapy (RT) and immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment option in oncology. Historically, x-ray radiation (XRT) has been the most commonly used form of RT. However, proton beam therapy (PBT) is gaining recognition as a viable alternative, as it has been shown to produce similar outcomes to XRT while minimizing off-target effects. The effects of PBT on the antitumor immune response have only just begun to be described, and to our knowledge no studies to date have examined the effect of PBT as part of a combinatorial immunoradiotherapeutic strategy. Here, using a 2-tumor model of …

A Simplified Method To Correct Saturation Of Arterial Input Function For Cardiac Magnetic Resonance First-Pass Perfusion Imaging: Validation With Simultaneously Acquired Pet, Ran Li, Masoud Edalati, David Muccigrosso, Jeffrey M C Lau, Richard Laforest, Pamela K Woodard, Jie Zheng

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: First-pass perfusion imaging in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an established method to measure myocardial blood flow (MBF). An obstacle for accurate quantification of MBF is the saturation of blood pool signal intensity used for arterial input function (AIF). The objective of this project was to validate a new simplified method for AIF estimation obtained from single-bolus and single sequence perfusion measurements. The reference MBF was measured simultaneously on

METHODS: Sixteen patients with clinically confirmed myocardial ischemia were imaged in a clinical whole-body PET-MRI system. PET perfusion imaging was performed in a 10-min acquisition after the injection of 10 …

Structural Specializations Of The Sperm Tail, Miguel Ricardo Leung, Jianwei Zeng, Xiangli Wang, Marc C Roelofs, Wei Huang, Riccardo Zenezini Chiozzi, Johannes F Hevler, Albert J R Heck, Susan K Dutcher, Alan Brown, Rui Zhang, Tzviya Zeev-Ben-Mordehai

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Sperm motility is crucial to reproductive success in sexually reproducing organisms. Impaired sperm movement causes male infertility, which is increasing globally. Sperm are powered by a microtubule-based molecular machine-the axoneme-but it is unclear how axonemal microtubules are ornamented to support motility in diverse fertilization environments. Here, we present high-resolution structures of native axonemal doublet microtubules (DMTs) from sea urchin and bovine sperm, representing external and internal fertilizers. We identify >60 proteins decorating sperm DMTs; at least 15 are sperm associated and 16 are linked to infertility. By comparing DMTs across species and cell types, we define core microtubule inner proteins …

Defining Diurnal Fluctuations In Mouse Choroid Plexus And Csf At High Molecular, Spatial, And Temporal Resolution, Ryann M Fame, Yong Zhang, Michael J Holtzman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Transmission and secretion of signals via the choroid plexus (ChP) brain barrier can modulate brain states via regulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition. Here, we developed a platform to analyze diurnal variations in male mouse ChP and CSF. Ribosome profiling of ChP epithelial cells revealed diurnal translatome differences in metabolic machinery, secreted proteins, and barrier components. Using ChP and CSF metabolomics and blood-CSF barrier analyses, we observed diurnal changes in metabolites and cellular junctions. We then focused on transthyretin (TTR), a diurnally regulated thyroid hormone chaperone secreted by the ChP. Diurnal variation in ChP TTR depended on Bmal1 clock gene …

A List-Mode Multi-Energy Window Low-Count Spect Reconstruction Method For Isotopes With Multiple Emission Peaks, Md Ashequr Rahman, Zekun Li, Zitong Yu, Richard Laforest, Daniel L J Thorek, Abhinav K Jha

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) provides a mechanism to perform absorbed-dose quantification tasks for [Formula: see text]-particle radiopharmaceutical therapies ([Formula: see text]-RPTs). However, quantitative SPECT for [Formula: see text]-RPT is challenging due to the low number of detected counts, the complex emission spectrum, and other image-degrading artifacts. Towards addressing these challenges, we propose a low-count quantitative SPECT reconstruction method for isotopes with multiple emission peaks.

METHODS: Given the low-count setting, it is important that the reconstruction method extracts the maximal possible information from each detected photon. Processing data over multiple energy windows and in list-mode (LM) format provide mechanisms …

The Impact Of School-Based Support Services On Mental Health And Academic Performance, Joshua A. Kent

2023 Symposium

Background: There has been a continued presence of mental health issues among high-school aged youth. As a result, many have a diminished ability to be successful in school. It is a societal problem as discussed in the literature. Legislation within the last 23 years has created more access for students but there is still a gap in services. This gap is mostly seen by not having enough personnel to address the amount of students that need assistance. There is also an inconsistent use of school-based health centers and other school-based interventions. Too many schools are using different interventions and …

Dog Guardians’ Subjective Well-Being During Times Of Stress And Crisis: A Diary Study Of Affect During Covid-19, Lori S. Hoy, Brigitte Stangl, Nigel Morgan

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

The impacts of companion animals on human well-being have been receiving increased media and research attention, especially in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, there have been calls for research to consider the major components of subjective well-being separately and for research designs to include assessments over time. In line with this suggestion, the purpose of this study was to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how being a dog guardian can impact affect and contribute to the overall assessment of subjective well-being. This study used a seven-day diary design to capture 31 dog guardians’ day-to- day feelings and thoughts …

Prenatal Care: Improved Attendance Through Text Messaging, Samareea Saunders

Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner

No abstract provided.

Shared Disposition Decision Making In The Emergency Department For Persons Living With Dementia, Justine Seidenfeld, Fernanda Bellolio, Anita Vashi, Courtney Van Houtven, Susan Hastings

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

N/A

Using Physical Therapy As First Line Treatment For Sciatica Vs. Invasive Intervention, Christina Mohammed

Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner

Sciatica nerve pain affects a large part of the human population. Evaluation by a primary care provider and a referral to physical therapy as first line treatment, may help reduce sciatic nerve pain and result in reduced need for invasive surgical intervention.