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Treatment for sciatic nerve pain or sciatica can be performed with different medications, which should always be prescribed by the doctor, such as analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, tricyclic antidepressants or corticosteroids, for example.
Furthermore, when the sciatic pain is very severe and the person cannot even stand, sit or walk, because their spine is 'locked', as if the sciatic nerve is pinched, it can be corticosteroid injections, which must be administered by a he althcare professional.
Some of the medications that can be prescribed by the doctor for the treatment of sciatic pain are:
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs | Ketoprofen (Profenid), ibuprofen (Alivium), naproxen (Flanax) |
| Analgesics | Paracetamol (Tylenol) |
| Opioid analgesics | Codeine (Codein), tramadol (Tramal) |
| Muscle relaxers | Cyclobenzaprine (Miosan), Orphenadrine (Miorrelax) |
| Anticonvulsants | Gabapentin (Gabaneurin), pregabalin (Lyrica) |
| Tricyclic Antidepressants | Imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor) and amitriptyline (Amytril) |
Generally, the drugs that are initially prescribed for the relief of sciatica are paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. If these remedies are not enough, the doctor can prescribe stronger ones, but only if their use is justified, since they have more side effects.
Sciatica pain is characterized by a kind of burning, which can go from the lower back, affecting the buttocks, the back or front of the thigh to the foot. It is usually caused by compression of the sciatic nerve, due to changes in the lumbar spine, such as a herniated disc or spinal deviation, but it can also happen because the nerve passes through the piriformis muscle, and whenever it becomes too tense, the sciatic crisis may appear, causing pain, tingling or burning in the lower back, buttocks and legs.
Learn how to identify piriformis syndrome.
How to cure sciatica faster
The treatment to prevent sciatica can be done with physiotherapy sessions, osteopathy, acupuncture, water aerobics and clinical Pilates. In the most severe cases, surgery may be necessary to decompress the inflamed sciatic nerve or reduce the herniated disc if this is the root of the problem, but about 90% of people do not need surgery and are cured through physical therapy.. Learn all treatment options for sciatic nerve pain.
Learn how to do the most suitable exercises to heal the inflamed sciatic nerve, in the following video:
Signs of improvement
Signs of improvement appear soon after starting to take the medication prescribed by the doctor, with relief of pain and the feeling of a trapped leg, which facilitates the performance of movements and daily tasks.
Possible complications
If the nerve continues to have a low blood supply, complications can occur, such as permanent damage to the nerve, which can cause a lot of pain along the entire path of the sciatic nerve, or even loss of sensation in these nerves. locations. When the nerve suffers a serious injury, due to a car accident, for example, the best treatment is surgery and when the surgeon cannot completely repair the injury, physiotherapy may be necessary for long periods.
