Sciatica consists of radiating pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve, according to MayoClinic.com. The sciatica nerve starts at the spinal cord and travels to the buttock area to the back of each leg. This condition occurs when a nerve is damaged, inflamed or compressed. Complications may include numbness, loss of movement, and/or loss of bladder or bowel function. Sciatica usually goes away, but in some cases the pain may indicate a herniated disk that requires medical attention.
Loss of Feeling and Movement
A serious complication of sciatica is the loss of feeling and movement in the legs, according to MedlinePlus. Pressure on the sciatic nerve can cause a loss of sensation or a feeling of numbness in one or both legs. People may temporarily or permanently lose the ability to walk when the nerves surrounding the spinal cord are damaged as the result of a compressed or inflamed sciatica nerve. In addition, some people may experience such intense pain in their back and legs that they have a hard timing moving and completing normal functions. These individuals report pain so severe that it hurts to stand, sneeze, cough, bend or walk more than a few feet, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Nerve Injury
A complication of sciatica is injury to the nerves in the leg. A person may develop sciatica when the sciatica nerve is injured as a result of a fractured pelvis, gunshot wound, or trauma to the buttocks or thigh, according to the website MamasHealth.com. Symptoms generally consist of intense pain, burning, numbness, decreased sensation or tingling in the back, hips and/or legs.
Cauda Equina Syndrome
Cauda equina syndrome, or the loss of bladder or bowel function, is a serious complication of sciatica that requires immediate medical attention, according to SpineUniversity.com. People may experience bladder or bowel incontinence or the inability to control bladder and bowel functions when a large amount of pressure is placed on the nerves at the end of the spinal cord, causing inflamed, irritated or pinched nerves. This complication occurs when the nerves surrounding the anal muscle or uretha, the tube that releases urine, are weakened, damaged or injured.
