As you advance in age, your muscles and nerves degenerate. If you are overweight or have underlying issues in your lower back, you will likely develop sciatica pain. The challenges of treating sciatica pain in older adults are many due to drug interaction. Irritation or inflammation of your nerves leads to pain in your lower back. If you are wondering what the ER can do for your severe sciatica pain, you need to visit the Waco emergency room and find exceptional diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms of Sciatica

Sciatica pain radiates from your lower spine to the back of your leg. You may feel some discomfort along your nerve pathway from your lower back and on your thigh. The pain might be mild, sharp, excruciating, or with a burning sensation. The experience may worsen when you’re sneezing or coughing, and one side of your body is affected and feels like an electric shock. You can also experience numbness, weakened muscles, tingling, or pain in one part of the affected leg. If you have severe pain, you need to seek emergency sciatica relief from the neurologist near you.

What Causes Sciatica?

Sciatica occurs due to inflammation or irritation of your sciatic nerve. A herniated disk, overgrowth of your spur bone, or compression of your nerve lead to sciatica development. Sciatica pain can occur due to degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis. Other potential factors that can lead to sciatica pain include obesity, lack of physical exercise, or improper sleeping positions. If you experience sciatica pain, you need to visit a sciatica emergency room to manage the pain.

Risk Factors Associated With Sciatica Pain

There are common risk factors due to sciatica, and some include:

• Age-related changes in your spine, including bone spurs and herniated disks, cause sciatica. If you are over 50 years, you will likely have sciatica due to nerves, muscles, and bones degenerating. The inflammation of your nerves leads to sciatica as you advance in age.

• Siting for a prolonged period or having a sedentary lifestyle can lead to the development of sciatica. If you are highly active in heavy lifting activities, you are potentially at risk of having a back injury and developing sciatica.

• Diabetes is a condition that affects your blood sugar usage, and it increases the risk of nerve damage. Having diabetes may put you at risk of developing nerve irritation and damage, leading to sciatica pain or other nerve disorders.

• Obesity causes intense stress on your spine, and excess body weight can lead to spinal changes that can easily trigger sciatica. Weight gain causes pressure on your spine and leads to a slight compression. Spinal compression can hit your nerves and lead to irritation.

• Genetic spinal disorders can cause sciatica pain, and you can inherit it through your genetic composition. Both spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disorder can lead to sciatica.

The challenges of treating sciatica pain in older adults are based on the above risk factors. Some risk factors are uncontrolled, and you need to visit a sciatica emergency room before your pain becomes severe.

Sciatica Prevention

At Express ER, Waco, we recommend you the following tips in protecting your lower back pain:

• Exercise regularly to strengthen your back and ensure you maintain the right posture and alignment while doing your routine tasks.
• Use recommended seats to maintain proper posture and avoid spinal compression and nerve irritation, which may cause sciatica.
• Use the right body mechanics when lifting heavy stuff and ensure your lower extremities work less. Avoid lifting and twisting simultaneously, and seek help if the object is heavy.

Treatment of Sciatica in the Elderly

Treatment for your sciatica pain depends on your condition. During your visit, your specialist may diagnose your state to determine if your pain is caused by nerve irritation. Acute sciatica responds well to medication, but chronic pain may require extensive procedures.

What Can the ER Do for Severe Sciatica?

If your sciatica pain is severe, your neurologist may use steroid injections for emergency sciatica relief. The injection is directed into your spine to reduce inflammation and lessen pressure. Chronic sciatica requires self-care and medical treatment measures that involve:

• Medication
• Physical therapy
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy to manage pain

Surgery can be done if your treatment options don’t respond to medication or other options. It involves removing your herniated disk or widening your spinal cord to minimize pressure on your nerves. Please visit us at the Waco emergency room and find adequate treatment for your pain.