About Severe Sciatic Pain
Sciatic pain usually occurs in adults between thirty and fifty years of age. In some people it is a painful inconvenience for a few weeks before fading away. There is a chance that it can lead to serious complications. If you are experiencing severe sciatic pain, you must speak to your doctor so you can be treated.
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The Facts
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Severe sciatic pain is a sign that there is a problem with your sciatic nerve. This nerve begins in your lower back and runs down the back of your legs. The sciatic nerve controls muscles in your knees and lower legs and provides sensation to the back of your thighs. Any problem with your sciatic nerve can cause pain. If the sciatic pain is severe enough, it can be debilitating.
Symptoms
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Sciatic pain begins in your lower back. It then travels down through your buttocks to the back of your leg. For most people, the pain only affects one leg. Sciatic pain can feel like a leg cramp that lasts for weeks at a time, combined with a burning sensation running from your lower back down to your leg. The pain can grow worse when you sneeze or cough. Severe sciatic pain can lead to loss of muscle control in your legs and even loss of bladder control.
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Causes
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Severe sciatic pain is caused by an issue with your sciatic nerve. A traumatic injury like a broken pelvis can cause it. If degenerative arthritis in your back has narrowed your spinal canal, your sciatic nerve can be compressed. Many people experience severe sciatic pain when a herniated disk in the back encroaches on the nerve causing increasing pressure on it. A doctor can use range of motion tests, MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays to diagnose the cause of your severe sciatic pain.
Treatment
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Pain relievers are often the first treatment prescribed to relieve sciatic pain. For severe pain, your doctor might prescribe a muscle relaxant as well. Oral steroid medication or injections of steroids into the back can reduce inflammation and reduce pain. Surgery is also a treatment option. If a herniated disk is causing your severe sciatic pain, a surgeon can remove the portion of the disk compressing your nerve to relieve the pain.
Considerations
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While sciatic pain can fade on its own, severe pain usually requires medical intervention. Along with medication, your doctor might prescribe physical therapy for you. Exercises that strengthen your back can bring relief. They can also help prevent severe sciatic pain from returning, which does occur in some people.
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