Treatment for pain due to sciatic nerve injury.

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You can choose the specialty and upload reports in next step... Hello, I have been suffering from a sciatic nerve injury since 2003 and have been taking Excedrin or Tylenol for years now and I feel I'm taking too much as it's not very effective in treating my pain. Could you offer an alternative medication? I cannot take NSAIDS and I've tried Ultram which also had little effect. Please help!

Submitted: 4 Days
Category: Community

Expert:  Dr. John Monheit replied 4 Days.

Hello,

Treatment for Pain relief for sciatica is very protracted and involves many drugs with moderate to good success. As you have already used Tylenol and Excedrin, you can use other class of drugs.

Sciatica is pain in the lower extremity resulting from injury of the sciatic nerve. The pain of sciatica is typically felt from the low back(lumbar area) to behind the thigh and radiating down below the knee.

Here are my recommendations-

1) Your best bet in pain relief is still going to be Ultram at higher dosage than you have tried or NSAIDs like Tab. Ibuprofen. They are the best treatment options for pain management. Beware of the addiction potential of Ultram/

2) Low back conditioning and stretching exercises are employed to help people recover from sciatica and also to improve mobility. You will need to consult a certified physiotherapist or a chiropractor.

3) Intramural and oral cortisone has shown tremendous improvement in symptoms of sciatica and pain relief.

4) Maintenance of a healthy diet and exercise regimen is imperative for recovery.

5) Tab Calcium 500 mg is recommended to prevent bone de-mineralization due to nerve injury

Thank you.

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