What Are the Red Flags for Sciatica?
Sciatica is a nerve pain caused by an injury or irritation to your sciatic nerve. One of the major red flags of sciatica is that the pain is usually localized to only one side of the body. Pain in the lower back that spreads down the leg is another warning sign for sciatica. If you get sudden, acute pain in your lower back or leg, along with numbness or muscular weakness in a leg, seek quick medical attention. Dr. Pawan Grover, MDPA, a board-certified specialist at InovoSpine, offers proper treatment and management of your condition for a higher quality of life and pain-free living. For more information, contact us or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 1140 Business Center Dr, Suite 110, Houston TX 77043.
Table of Contents:
Does sciatica go away on its own?
What are the red flags for sciatica?
What can make sciatica worse?
How does a doctor treat sciatica?
Sciatica is a debilitating condition that interferes with daily life, causing nerve pain that radiates from the back to the legs which results in numbness, tingling, and weakness. While sciatica can sometimes resolve on its own, your doctor may need to intervene to help alleviate your symptoms.
In some cases, sciatica may go away on its own without any treatment if the root cause of the condition heals naturally over time. However, this can take weeks or even months, and during this time you may experience varying levels of pain, discomfort, and limitations in mobility.
In other cases, sciatica may not resolve on its own without medical intervention. If your condition persists for more than a few months, it may become chronic and require medical attention as chronic sciatica can cause permanent nerve damage, muscle weakness, and loss of sensation in the affected area.
It’s important to note that relying solely on self-treatment or ignoring the symptoms of sciatica can worsen your condition. You should seek medical attention if you’re experiencing persistent or severe pain, bowel or bladder problems or loss of sensation in your legs and/or feet.
While sciatica can often be treated with non-invasive measures, it’s important to watch for red flags that may indicate a more serious underlying condition. This includes:
– Sudden onset of severe pain.
– Symptoms that occur on both sides of the body.
– Loss of bladder or bowel control.
– Weakness or numbness in the legs.
– Pain that worsens at night.
If you experience a sudden onset of severe pain, symptoms on both sides of the body, loss of bladder or bowel control, weakness or numbness in the legs, or pain that worsens at night, it’s important to seek medical attention right away to prevent your condition from becoming worse and/or chronic.
While there are many causes of sciatica, certain things can make the condition worse, exacerbating symptoms and causing greater amounts of discomfort. Some of the common factors that can make sciatica worse include:
– Prolonged sitting. Sitting for prolonged periods of time can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, leading to increased pain and discomfort.
– Heavy lifting. Lifting heavy objects, especially with poor posture and technique, can lead to strain on the lower back muscles and nerves, worsening sciatica symptoms.
– Lack of exercise. Patients with sedentary lifestyles are more prone to developing sciatica because a lack of exercise leads to weak muscles, and a weak lower back is more susceptible to nerve irritation.
– Poor posture. Poor posture, especially while sitting or standing for extended periods of time, can increase pressure on the sciatic nerve resulting in further discomfort.
– Obesity. Extra weight places additional pressure and strain on the lower back and legs, creating pressure on the sciatic nerve.
– Smoking. Smoking can reduce blood flow to the spine and cause tissue damage, making it harder for the nerve to heal from irritation caused by sciatica.
– Stress. Stress may lead to muscle tension, which can cause poor posture and strain the lower back.
There are a variety of treatments that your doctor may use to address your sciatica, depending on the severity of your condition and your unique medical needs.
One common approach is to start with conservative therapies like medication and physical therapies to improve symptoms. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and muscle relaxants can be used to manage pain and muscle spasms, and nerve pain medication, like gabapentin, can be effective at reducing the frequency and intensity of nerve pain.
Physical therapy may also be prescribed to help strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and reduce pain caused by sciatica. This may include stretches, aerobic exercises and low-impact activities like swimming or walking.
For those who don’t see improvement from more conservative treatments, your doctor may recommend more advanced interventions like epidural steroid injections or spinal decompression surgery.
If you’d like more information about our sciatica treatment options, contact us at Inovo Spine or book with us online to schedule an appointment. Our specialized team of sciatica experts would be happy to answer any questions that you have so you can feel confident moving forward with treatment. We are conveniently located at 1140 Business Center Dr, Suite 110, Houston TX 77043. We serve patients from Houston TX, Hedwig Village TX, Meadows Place TX, Missouri City TX, Hunters Creek Village TX, Spring Valley Village TX and surrounding areas.
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