How long does it take for an inflamed sciatic nerve to heal?

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, it begins in the lower part of the spine, and goes down, from the buttocks towards the lower limb on each side.

The inflamed sciatic nerve is also known as sciatica pain, it is a very common condition that generally has a good prognosis, however 20 to 30% of patients have a recurrence in a period of no more than 2 years.

Symptoms of inflamed sciatic nerve:

· Pain: it is the most important and common symptom. The characteristic of the pain is that it begins in the lumbar region and radiates to the leg and foot, making its way from the buttock and the entire back of the lower limb.

· The pain is usually worse when sitting.

· It can present only as pain in the hip.

· You may have a burning or tingling sensation in your lower limb.

· It usually affects only one side. Very rarely, both sciatic nerves can be affected simultaneously.

· Weakness in the affected lower limb.

· Stiffness or difficulty in mobilizing the lower limb.

· Difficulty walking may occur.

· The pain is usually progressive, it increases in intensity with the passage of hours and days.

· In more advanced cases, sphincter control may be lost: anal and bladder.

Main causes of inflamed sciatic nerve or sciatica pain

Compression and / or stenosis at the exit of the sciatic nerve from the lower part of the spine is the mechanism by which pinching and subsequent irritation of the nerve occurs.

This grip has several origins:

· Trauma: either falls, traffic accidents, they do not need to have occurred recently. Trauma can be identified long before pain begins.

· Muscle spasm due to any sudden movement or twisting of the waist.

· Intervertebral disc degeneration and / or herniated discs.

· Spondylolisthesis.

· Pregnancy.

· Tumors

· Local bleeding (after trauma).

· Local infections

Risk factors for inflamed sciatic nerve

Some patients must take preventive measures due to their high risk of suffering sciatica pain, such as:

· Age: between 45 and 64 years of age this disease is most frequently located.

· Obesity: the risk is proportional to body weight.

· Cigarette.

· Mental or psychological stress.

· Diabetes mellitus: damage to peripheral nerves is common.

· Sedentary lifestyle.

· Occupation:

· They constantly lift or carry weight.

· Sitting position for a long time.

Preventive measures for sciatica pain

· Regular exercise, physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of inflamed sciatic nerve.

· Adopt a better posture when sitting.

· Do stretching and movements of the lower limbs in times of queues or prolonged walks.

· Avoid lifting a lot of weight without lumbar protection.

Treatment of inflamed sciatic nerve

Conservative treatments include:

Avoid rest

Unlike other types of neuromuscular or joint pain, well-targeted physical activity has been shown to improve pain symptoms originating from the sciatic nerve. In that sense, rest is not the best recommendation.

Medicines

· Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen, or ketoprofen. Gastrointestinal, kidney and blood pressure side effects must be taken into account.

· Muscle relaxants such as thiocolchicoside.

· Narcotics: opioids if other medications fail.

· Gabapectin.

· Duloxetine.

· Tricyclic antidepressants.

· Avoid opioids or acetaminophen alone. Better in combination.

· Injected depot steroids, but cannot be used frequently due to side effects.

· Epidural injections: treatment injected directly in the proximity of the sciatic nerve in the spine, local anesthetics or steroids can be used.

Physical or mechanical measurements

· Physiotherapy: well designed by a professional, where further injury is avoided.

· Traction.

· TENS: transcutaneous nerve stimulators.

· Thermal therapy:

· Cold: initially place cold compresses for 20 minutes, several times a day.

· Heat: after 3 days you can start hot compresses, or alternate cold compresses with heat.

Alternative medicine

· Acupuncture: the practice of this therapy in Western medicine is increasingly common for cases of pain of neural origin.

· Chiropractic: spinal manipulation, to restore movement and improve pain.

Surgery

· When physical and medical therapies fail.

When there are sphincter control problems or severe functional limitation

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