What Happens if Sciatica Pain Is Left Untreated?

About two of every five adults in the country experience sciatica symptoms at some point in their lives. Though the pain can be serious, interfering with virtually every aspect of your life, the condition often clears spontaneously with rest and time. 

However, the causes of sciatica can sometimes be chronic, leading to constant compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve. This can lead to a wide range of problems, some of them serious. 

Visit Florida Pain Management Institute in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for both effective pain relief and diagnosis of the cause behind your condition. When you understand what happens if sciatica pain is left untreated, you’ll know the hazards of ignoring this common ailment.

Sciatic nerve anatomy

You have two sciatic nerves, one running down each leg. These are the largest and longest nerves in your body. 

The sciatic nerves emerge from the spinal cord as five roots, routed between two lumbar vertebrae and three sacral vertebrae, before merging into a single nerve that runs through the buttocks into the legs. 

This leaves 10 places that parts of the sciatic nerves can be affected by compression at the spine alone. Sciatica symptoms may stem from physical conditions such as arthritis, bone spurs, spinal stenosis, and herniated spinal discs. 

The specific symptoms you experience depend on which nerve roots are affected, as well as how seriously that root is affected. 

What happens if sciatica pain is left untreated? 

Sciatica is a collective name for the various effects that sciatic nerve conditions create, so there’s not a single danger or result that covers all sciatica symptoms. Therefore, there’s also no single complication that dominates when sciatica is left untreated. You may experience one or more of the following conditions without medical care for your symptoms: 

Chronic pain

When you live with sciatic pain for too long, the pain could remain even after the original problem heals. Chronic pain is often difficult to control. 

Loss of function

Severe cases of sciatica may result in permanent nerve damage, leading to impaired muscle control or strength, or altered nerve sensation. 

Permanent nerve damage

When nerve compression isn’t treated, the sciatic nerve can be permanently damaged, leading to equally permanent pain conditions that may be hard to treat. 

Balance problems

When sciatic nerve problems affect the motor control of muscles, the resulting changes in response can lead to coordination difficulties, making it harder to stand or walk. 

Bladder and bowel control

A rare complication of sciatic nerve compression affects the roots that control waste elimination functions. You may develop bowel or urinary incontinence. 

Though complications of sciatica are comparatively rare, they can be potentially quite serious. Don’t ignore sciatica pain, regardless of how familiar its occurrence may be. 

Contact the sciatica specialists at Florida Pain Management Institute at the location nearest you. Book your appointment by phone or online today.