Features

• Sciatica while very painful is not life threatening. It tends to run in families. This condition is also called a nerve in the lower part of the spine being pinched or compressed, which causes the pain.
  
  

Treatment

• The treatment choices for sciatic include conservative and operative. A conservative choice should always be followed first, which includes rest, ice and heat alternations, and taking ibuprofen to reduce any inflammation. The surgical procedure for severe sciatica is lumbar microdiscectomy, in which the bulging or herniated disc that is pressing against the nerve fibers is removed.
  
  

Significance

• Sciatica affects millions of Americans each year. Normally home care is all that is needed in order to make a full recovery.
  
  

Considerations

• Sciatica can return at anytime especially if the initial onset were resulting from sudden bending or heavy lifting. It is important to resist doing the activities that brought on the pain in the first place.
  
  

Warning

• In severe cases of sciatic it is possible to lose bowel control. If this happens, seek medical attention immediately.