Sciatica Treatment - overview, symptoms
Sciatic nerve pain (commonly referred to as sciatica) is the compression of the sciatic nerve which starts in the low back and extends into both legs. Pain originates in the lower back and proceeds through the buttock and down the sciatic nerve in the back of each leg.
Symptoms:
- Constant or intermittent pain in one or both legs
- Pain that is worse when sitting
- Leg pain that is more burning or searing than dull ache
- Pain so severe that you struggle to walk or stand up.
What does sciatica feel like?
Sciatica can range in intensity from low grade ache to severe debilitating pain that keeps you from working or doing the things you love. The pain can feel like electric sharp stabbing pains, deep aches, numbness and tingling, and can even mimic joint and muscle pains in the leg.
What causes sciatic nerve pain?
There are multiple causes of sciatic nerve pain. It can start without any probable cause or be exacerbated by a strenuous event or activity. Most of the time it is not just one event that causes a compression of the sciatic nerve. We typically find that it is prolonged poor positioning, or repeated movements in the wrong direction that create an imbalance in the spine. This imbalance is what leads to injury.
Do I need an X-ray or MRI?
An X-ray will not give you much information about the sciatic nerve. An MRI does assist in determining if there is anything more serious going on, but this is usually not the case. Though an MRI can determine if there is a disc bulge or herniation that may be compressing the sciatic nerve, a physical therapy evaluation can do the same. One important difference is that an MRI cannot determine how a disc bulge or herniation will change with different movements. A physical therapist will be able to prescribe movements and exercises to reduce pressure on the nerve and allow for healing. An MRI can often lead to more referrals and more expensive medical costs.
Sciatica treatment options
Sciatica is often recurrent, meaning it comes back. That is why it is imperative that you learn to manage and prevent it through effective sciatica treatment. Our doctors of physical therapy will assess your lower back and legs to determine if the pain is coming from your spine or from your sciatic nerve being compressed elsewhere in the body.
Your therapist will then be able to develop a custom treatment program for you, which will be geared towards ending sciatic nerve pain completely, not just dulling the pain you are experiencing right now.
Possible sciatica treatment options include manual therapy such as massage, joint mobilizations, and dry needling, specific stretches and exercises to reduce nerve compression, and strengthening and body mechanics training to prevent recurrence of symptoms.
What does physical therapy treatment for sciatica look like?
First, a thorough evaluation must be completed to determine the root cause, whether it be posture, poor body mechanics, weakness, muscle imbalance etc. Determining the most appropriate movements, stretches and exercises to restore function is a big part of what we do here at Rise Physical Therapy.Our therapists may also utilize manual therapy techniques such as joint mobilizations or massage to help your joints and muscles move better and decrease compression on the sciatic nerve.
Our ultimate goal is for you to experience immediate relief from pain and gain the necessary knowledge to prevent future occurrences of sciatic nerve pain.
About Rise Physical Therapy
Hi, and welcome to Rise Physical Therapy.
Rise exists because we believe there is a demand for honest and ethical physical therapy that truly makes a difference in people's lives. After years of working in healthcare, we realized that the industry had lost its focus on the patient. So we decided to start our own clinics in Northwest Arkansas to provide our patients the very best in one-on-one physical therapy. We wouldn't have it any other way.
Thanks for swinging by the site, and we hope to see you soon.
