Hi  A friend of mine can not walk,stand or sit, she has an extreme high pain tolerance but now is crying from the pain in her lower back. She cant move or have anything touching her back.  The pain runs from her back, hip and down to her knee. She called an ambulance to take her to the emergency room after 10 hours and an x-ray was told that it is her siatica.  She is given morphine but still feels the pain.  She is told to go home and take T3 until she sees her regular doctor.  I am concerned it is not the siactic, can this be misdiagnosed?  What can she do to have the doctors check all possiblities.
A lumbar radiculopathy, or "sciatica" is one of the most common causes of low back pain that radiates down the leg. They would likely have done screening blood tests in the ER to look at other remote possibilities. In addition to Tylenol #3 she would probably benefit from a prescription muscle relaxant. Otherwise, physical therapy, and then possibly lumbar epidural steroid injection/nerve root block would be the next option.