Sciatica pain can be acute as well as chronic. This pain starts in the lower back. It travels through the buttocks and hips and comes down to the legs. It occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or becomes pinched. Usually, sciatica pain affects only one side of the body.
Acute sciatica pain can last from one week to two weeks and usually gets better in a few weeks. It is normal to feel some numbness in the legs or lower back after any improvement in the pain. If acute sciatica is not treated well, it can turn into chronic sciatica pain.
This means that the pain of sciatica will occur regularly; chronic sciatica can last for many years and become a lifetime condition.
Managing sciatica pain
For many people, sciatica pain can be treated at home through self-care. The most common way to reduce the pain is by resting. But if the sciatica pain flares up, you should not wait further to see a doctor. If you make your body inactive for longer, it can also worsen symptoms and sciatica pain.
Temporary relief from sciatica pain can be achieved through cold or hot packs. You can also perform stretches at home to reduce further pain. Other painkiller medications might also help to reduce swelling, inflammation, and sciatica pain.
If your pain and symptoms are worsening, home remedies are not working, and pain is increasing, you should visit a professional doctor. They might suggest some professional medications so that pain can be reduced. In this case, doctors might also suggest physical therapies to increase mobility and reduce pain in sciatica.
Physical therapies can also prevent flaring up sciatica pain in the future.
Duration of sciatica pain
The duration of sciatica pain generally depends on the severity and type of problem and symptoms you are facing. It takes only a few weeks to resolve sciatica pain, but it can last longer than two years under certain medical conditions.
If it left untreated or not treated well, then it can become a lifetime condition.
If you recently had any lower back problems, you might experience acute sciatica pain. During this period, the sciatica pain can either remain constant or flare up for about 4 to 6 weeks.
The conditions under which sciatica pain could become chronic and increase are as follows:
Inflammation in pelvic muscles or lower back
Muscle spasm
Lumbar herniated disc
Spondylolisthesis
Lumbar degenerative disc disease
Lumbar spinal stenosis
In a nutshell
Sciatica pain can be a painful, worse, and more severe condition. It can make it more difficult for you to do daily chores. There are many ways by which you can reduce and treat sciatica pain. When sciatica pain treated well, it often wholly alleviated in a few weeks. You should talk to your doctor immediately if your symptoms are not going away or keep on getting worse.
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