SCIATICA PAIN

Like most neck and back pain, the majority of us who experience sciatic nerve pain, will recover rather quickly, and with at-home, over the counter treatments. However, sciatic nerve pain that lasts for longer than a week could be a sign of a bigger health concern. It is estimated that 40% of the US population will experience sciatic nerve pain at some point in their life.

So, how do you know when it is time to seek help for sciatica pain? According to Mayo Clinic, you should seek medical attention immediately if: 

• If you have sudden, or severe pain in your low back or leg, and numbness or muscle weakness in your leg,

• The pain follows a violent injury, such as a traffic accident

• You have trouble controlling your bowels or bladder

If the pain is chronic, or persisting for a week or longer, it may be a good idea to seek medical attention. Severe chronic pain can become debilitating and cause a true hindrance in one’s life. It can rob you of the ability to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle. 

Chronic pain, when gone untreated, can continue to worsen as time goes on. This is due to a build-up of pressure on the compressed nerve. As pressure continues to build on the sciatic nerve, the pain may become more intense. You may also notice tingling, weakness, or numbness that radiate into your hips, legs, and feet 

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If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, Dr. Merheb encourages you to seek a medical opinion. You deserve to live a pain-free life again. 

Dr. Merheb specializes in a variety of nonsurgical treatments and is especially experienced in chronic pain, such as sciatic nerve pain. His goal is always to relieve your pain and relieve the pressure on your compressed nerve, as well as help prevent further complications from occurring. 

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Some of the means of treatment Dr. Merheb may use to help you with sciatica are:

• Trigger point injections

• Soft tissue injections

• Epidural steroid injections

Injection therapies like these can help provide you with enough pain relief to start being physically active again and engage in therapeutic exercises to re-strengthen the muscles in your lower back; relieving nerve compression naturally. 

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After your consultation, if Dr. Merheb finds you have a severely damaged spinal disc or another condition which is not treatable with conservative therapies, he may refer you to an outside party for surgery.

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If you live in the Aventura, Miami, South Beach, or surrounding areas in Florida, and are currently suffering from chronic pain,

Dr. Merheb and his team of dedicated medical professionals urge you to call his office or set up a consultation. Let this highly experienced Interventional Pain Management and Spine Specialist help you take back control of your life.