Usually, pain because of mild sciatica does not last long but goes away. It is better to get an appointment with your doctor if the pain is severe or lasts longer than a week. You may need immediate medical care if you have severe pain in your lower back or weakness or numbness in your leg.
Your doctor may start the treatment after identifying the cause of your nerve pain. If your condition needs specialised treatment, your doctor will refer a neurologist, orthopedic doctor, or chiropractor for further treatment.
What Causes Sciatica
The term ‘Sciatica’ means nerve pain that tingles with weakness and numbness that travels down the back of your thighs to your calves and feet. It travels from the lower back across the buttocks. Sciatica, a symptom of an underlying medical condition, occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed.
The narrowing of the nerve passage in the spine, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease, herniated lumbar disc in the lower back, the spasm of the piriformis muscle in the buttocks are some conditions that usually cause sciatica. During pregnancy, when the pelvis and lower back are placed under pressure as the baby grows, it causes sciatica in some women.
Identifying Sciatica Symptoms
If you can identify some symptoms that cause sciatica, you will manage the pain. Check if you have numbness or weakness in the foot or leg muscles or have pain while lifting heavy items or sneezing.
While sitting, if you have pain in the legs or buttocks or throbbing pain in the lower back, or pain like pricking with pins or needles along with loss of bowel or bladder function may also be a sciatica symptom.
Sciatica pain occurs constantly or periodically varies from being inconvenient to unbearable. The symptoms differ based on the location of the pain in the nerve.
What Doctor to See for Sciatica Pain
Meet your family doctor first to diagnose the reason for your sciatic pain and get the treatment to get rid of the pain. Initially, the doctor may prescribe pain killers or steroids with muscle relaxants or advice for complete rest. The doctor may ask for an MRI scan for further treatment.
If the pain doesn’t go away, the family doctor may refer you to a neurologist or an orthopedic doctor. Your neurologist doctor may suggest nonsurgical therapies or surgical remedies depending on the severity of the nerve pain. For nonsurgical therapy treatment, your doctor may refer a physical therapist or a chiropractor. Surgery must be the last option if the pain is unbearable, evidence of nerve damage, or a loss of function in your legs.
Appointment with a Neurologist
Getting an appointment with your neurologist may solve your sciatica pain-related issues.
The neurologist may ask you to take an x-ray, MRI, or EMG/NCV to diagnose the reason for your nerve pain and prescribe medicines to cure it.
Appointment with an Orthopedic Doctor
Get an appointment with an orthopedist if your sciatic pain is because of degenerative disc disease or a herniated disc. The orthopedic doctor may suggest surgical procedures to relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve.
It is always better to go for a second opinion. There may be a non-surgical solution for your sciatic nerve pain. Never rush for surgery if another solution is possible.
Appointment with a Chiropractor
If your sciatica is because of muscle tightness or weakness, a chiropractor can provide relief. Though a chiropractor is not a medical doctor, he may provide relief for sciatic-related pain.
Sometimes, sitting too much of the time or over-stimulation may cause knots in the muscles and irritate the sciatic nerve. This type of treatment has limitations. So, visit a chiropractor who will not try to resolve medical issues beyond physical rehabilitation.
Appointment with an Osteopath
An appointment with an osteopathic doctor referred by your family doctor may help relieve stress on the affected areas.
An osteopath could eliminate local sciatic nerve pain by improving the mobility in joints, decreasing muscle spasms, and help to relieve stress on the nerves. With a combination of manual joint manipulation exercises, tendon or muscle manipulation exercises, an osteopath may help to reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Once the pain is reduced, your osteopathic doctor may focus on rehabilitation methods and recovery exercises. The osteopath may refer to relevant exercises to improve muscle activation, build postural strength, and restore mobility.
Osteopathy and sciatica are commonly associated. Osteopathic treatment can bring back patients on their toes with exercises that restore muscle activation, postural strength, and mobility.
Conclusion
While getting treated for sciatica, it is always good to follow the advice of your family doctor. Meet a chiropractor or a neurologist or an osteopath or an orthopedic doctor, as suggested.
Identify the treatment procedure that relieved the sciatic pain. It is better to choose non-invasive procedures as they may help you get back to your normal life as soon as possible.
