Sciatica Red Flags
 Look carefully at the list
of sciatica red flags below. You should arrange
to see your doctor
if you feel you have sciatica, especially if all self-care
attempts at easing the symptoms have failed, or the
pain lasts for several weeks; but you should seek
immediate medical attention (as in: go to
your hospital's Accident & Emergency department
now) if you have any of the following
further symptoms or conditions, since they may indicate a
problem that is not simply sciatica:
- You are
younger than twenty or older than fifty-five when you
first get sciatica symptoms
- The sciatica symptoms appear
after a violent injury, such as a fall from a ladder, or a
car crash
- The sciatica pain is
constant, has not improved over several days, or is getting
worse
- The sciatica pain is in the
back of your chest
- You have had cancer, or you
have it now
- You are taking
steroids
- You are an IV drug abuser,
or have HIV
- You have unexpectedly lost a
significant amount of weight
recently
- You have great difficulty
bending forwards
- You have developed an
obvious structural deformity in your
spine
- You have numbness or
weakness in your legs (or perhaps other parts of your
body), and this is increasing
- You lose control of your
bowels or bladder or have numbness in your
genitals.
- You have unexplained fever
and chills, and have back pain
Go to the hospital
now and have a check-up!
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