4 Questions to Ask Sciatica Pain Treatment Specialist
Nearly anywhere along the nerve route, you can experience sciatica pain. It is particularly prone to travel down the back of the thigh and calf and from the low back to the buttock. It can occasionally feel like an electric shock or jolt. Dr. Pawan Grover, MDPA offers comprehensive treatment solutions for sciatica pain at InovoSpine. For more information, contact us or book an online appointment. We serve patients from Houston, TX and surrounding areas.


Table of Contents:
What types of sciatica are there?
What is the main cause of sciatica?
How long will sciatica take to heal?
What happens if sciatica is left untreated?
Sciatica is a form of sharp pain that’s felt in areas like the lower back, buttocks, the backs of the thighs, and behind the knees. Also known as sciatic nerve pain, it occurs when the sciatic nerve that runs down both legs, connecting to muscle and tendons in the hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, calves, and feet gets pinched or compressed. The pain often goes away on its own, but medical attention will be needed if it becomes more persistent.
There are four different types of sciatica that are based on the duration of symptoms and whether one or both legs are affected:
Acute sciatica – recent pain that has lasted for between 4 and 8 weeks. This pain may be self-managed and may not necessarily need medical treatment.
Chronic sciatica – persistent pain that lasts for more than 8 weeks and is not usually helped by self-management. Depending on its cause, chronic sciatica may require non-surgical or surgical treatment.
Alternating sciatica – sciatic nerve pain that affects each leg in turn. This type of sciatica is rare and may be due to degeneration in the sacroiliac joint.
Bilateral sciatica – occurs in both legs at the same time. This is also a rare type of sciatica and may be the result of degeneration in the vertebrae and/or disc, or of serious conditions such as cauda equina syndrome.
Sciatic nerve pain can be caused by a variety of lower back conditions, the most common of which is a herniated disc. This, along with some other causes are:
Herniated disc: A disc, or intervertebral disc, is a soft cushion located between the vertebrae of the spine. Sometimes a disc can lose its integrity and bulge into the spinal canal, causing pressure on the spinal nerves. When a lumbar disc herniation presses directly on the sciatic nerve, it can lead to inflammation or irritation of the nerve causing pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs associated with sciatica.
Spinal stenosis: A condition that occurs in older adults, spinal stenosis is a type of nerve compression disorder that leads to leg pain whilst walking or standing.
Spondylolisthesis: This disorder affects the lower part of the back and occurs when a vertebra slips forward over another adjacent one.
Trauma: Trauma from sports injuries, motor vehicle accidents or falling can cause nerve compression, especially when there are fragments of broken spinal bones.
Depending on whether the sciatic nerve pain is deemed to be acute or chronic, it can take either week to heal or it can become a life-long condition. Acute sciatica may eventually develop into chronic sciatica, and although the pain may be more regular it is often less severe than that associated with acute sciatica.
There are both surgical and non-surgical treatment options for sciatic nerve pain and it is recommended that it be treated as soon as possible to prevent the symptoms from becoming worse and causing more serious complications. Typical issues that can arise from untreated sciatica are:
– Nerve damage – that could end up being permanent. The pain in the back and legs will likely get worse with time, reaching a point when treatments used hitherto are no longer effective.
– Loss of feeling – In extreme cases, feeling may be lost in the affected limb which could have an impact on mobility.
– Loss of bladder control – This is rare but can happen if the part of the spinal cord that allows control over the bladder is impacted.
The above illustrates the importance of seeking help when symptoms are first experienced as these complications can have life-long consequences.
If you would like to know more about sciatica, its causes, and treatment, contact InovoSpine today! You can contact us or schedule an appointment online. We serve patients from Houston TX, Hedwig Village TX, Meadows Place TX, Missouri City TX, Hunters Creek Village TX, Spring Valley Village TX and the surrounding areas and we look forward to meeting you!

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