Can nerve damage in legs get worse?
Some nerve-related problems do not interfere with daily life. Others get worse quickly and may lead to long-term, severe symptoms and problems. When a medical condition can be found and treated, your outlook may be excellent. But sometimes, nerve damage can be permanent, even if the cause is treated.
How can you tell if you have nerve damage in one leg?
Pain down One Leg. Pain running down just one leg could be a sign of nerve damage. The pain would start in your lower back and travel down the back of one leg. Pain could come in the form of tingling, burning or a sharp pain, and could indicate sciatica, which is the compression of the sciatic nerve.
Can a pinched nerve in the spine cause leg weakness?
A pinched nerve in the spine produces either leg weakness, leg numbness or both. A pinched nerve can cause leg weakness on one side or both sides of the body. Generally, a pinched nerve starts with mild or moderate symptoms of discomfort or tingling, and gradually worsens, causing severe pain and progressively worsening weakness.
What causes severe nerve pain in both legs?
Peripheral neuropathy pain typically affects both legs. This condition occurs due to inflammation of small blood vessels in the legs leading to reduced blood supply to the nerves, resulting in nerve damage.
What causes weakness and pain in the legs?
Nerve damage to your leg can cause muscle weakness and pain. Nerve damage in your legs is often referred to as neuropathy. Neuropathy can be caused by injury or diabetes complications.
What is the treatment for nerve damage in the leg?
To treat chronic leg nerve damage, a doctor may prescribe a transcutaneous nerve stimulator — TENS unit. This is a small device that delivers small electrical currents to the area of leg nerve damage.
What are the treatments for leg nerve damage?
In mild cases, over-the-counter medications may be beneficial in treating pain related to leg nerve damage. A doctor will typically recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs — NSAIDs — because these medications reduce chemical signals related to pain and inflammation. If taken as directed, these medications are safe in healthy patients.
What are symptoms of nerve pain in legs?
The common symptoms of sciatica are: Continuous pain in one side of the body i-e buttock, leg, thigh, calf. Pain originating in the lower back and radiating downwards along the sciatic nerve to the foot. Pain is usually very intense. A sensation that can be described as prickling or tingling like being pricked with needles running down the leg.
What causes nerve pain in lower leg?
Another common cause of lower leg pain is nerve compression. This often arises at the nerve roots – where the nerve exits the spinal cord. Sciatica is one example of a pinched nerve and probably among the most common to cause lower leg pain.