Sciatica in Affton, MO | Sciatica Treatment Near Affton

Sciatica in Affton, MO. If you have ever known the pain associated with sciatica, you know how difficult it is to capture in words the ferocity of pain that accompanies it and the degree of distress and disability the condition can wreak on your life. If you suspect that you may have sciatica or have been diagnosed with a sciatic nerve condition, seek the care of a medical professional right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of multiple Affton, MO area physical therapy treatment clinics. These provider-owned and operated movement wellness offices bring you sound, individualized, strategic care for your sciatica or other movement complaints near Affton, MO. Speak to a physical therapist in the Affton area about sciatica care for you today or request an appointment online now.

Understanding Sciatica

Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve, which happens to be the most extensive nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve originates from the nerve roots located in the lower spine, then from the pelvis it branches out to each buttock and runs down and through the back of each leg. Sciatica can be distinguished from general low back pain or other conditions because the pain from sciatica follows the path of the sciatic nerve.

The term sciatica is not, in itself, a diagnosis — contrary to popular assumption. In fact, sciatica is only a word used to describe conditions connected to the sciatic nerve that rear up when an existing medical condition results in the irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica patients’ symptoms range greatly, but commonly include pain sensations, weakness, numbness, or tingling down the buttock and leg. While low back pain in constrained to the immediate area around the back (though other conditions affecting the low back and lead to tightness, imbalance, and overcompensation that causes additional physical problems), you may find that your sciatica symptoms exist down into the glute area, legs, and feet and heels.

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Do I Have Sciatica? – Sciatica Symptoms

Each sciatica patient experiences symptoms differently. Your sciatica’s exact presentation depends on where the damage or pressure is along the nerve root. Symptoms that accompany sciatica include pain, loss of sensation, weakness, tingling, and pain that is aggravated by being in certain positions.

The distinguishing marker of sciatica is pain that travels along the sciatic nerve from the low spine to the pelvis, buttocks, and legs. Typically, a patient with sciatica will experience symptoms only on one side — either the left or right hip and leg. There are, however, exceptions, and some sciatica patients are affected down both nerve paths. This is determined by the position of the compression or pinching of the nerve.

Pain is such a significant component of the sciatica experience for Affton, MO sciatica sufferers. Pain from sciatica varies from:

Sharp
Jolting
Shooting
Burning
Electric
Stabbing
Tingling

If debilitating sciatica pain is preventing you from living your life, contact a medical professional specializing in spine health right away. Axes Physical Therapy’s Affton, MO area physical and occupational therapists will lead you on your journey to a full recovery and design a treatment plan to return you to the life you want to live.

Causes of Sciatica

Most instances of sciatica are caused, in one way or another, by some form of irritation to or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve inflammation is easily repaired with physical therapy in the Affton area designed to target the underlying cause of your sciatica symptoms, and some even resolve naturally as time passes and you practice safe exercise and home care. Other cases, when the sciatica is a result of direct compression of the sciatic nerve, may call for a more invasive treatment such as surgery.

Usually, people with sciatica are not aware of what caused their condition. You may have sustained trauma or developed nerve irritation over time. Whatever the case may be, our Affton, MO area physical therapists have the clinical success and up-to-date evidence-based knowledge you need and deserve from your sciatica treatment professional.

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Common Causes of Sciatica Pain

Herniated disc
Slipped disc
Bone spur
Spinal stenosis
Piriformis syndrome
Degenerative disc disease
Spondylolisthesis
Pregnancy
Vertebral fracture

Major Risk Factors for Sciatica

Certain activities and conditions could put you at a higher risk of developing painful, restrictive, debilitating conditions like sciatica. Risk factors tied to sciatica include:

Age. Over the years, our bodies undergo natural wear and tear and the bone and soft tissue in joints including the spine can wear away and increase your risk of sciatica.
Weight. The more weight on your body, the harder your back muscles have to work, and the more pressure the tissue in your spine and pelvic joints face.
Other medical conditions. Diabetes causes a higher rate of nerve damage in patients, and conditions like osteoarthritis can cause pain and pressure on your spine and sciatic nerve.
Occupation/Daily activities. Occupations that require lifting heavy loads for long periods, frequent bending and twisting, or driving (causing the up-and-down movement and vibration of the body) can cause sciatica.
Lifestyle. Lifestyle choices like a sedentary lifestyle or tobacco use can lead to weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

What Sciatica Treatments in Affton, MO Are Right for Me?

There are a variety of treatments that are often used to treat sciatica patients. Different treatment solutions, which run the gamnut from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to intensive procedures, vary in their accepted level of efficacy. The one thing that medical professionals agree on when it comes to sciatica treatment is that physical activity is a critical component of managing and treating sciatica. This is contrary to outdated recommendations to confine sicatica patients to bed rest, which is no longer an accepted treatment fo sciatica as it does not improve disabiity or pain in patients.

Remember that it is your responsibility to consult with a licensed medical professional prior to making any decisions about your own medical care. Our Affton, MO area physical and occupational therapists with Axes Physical Therapy are committed to providing Affton, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. For you, that means understanding your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other key information. Your Axes medical professional specializing in movement health in Affton, MO will provide a free screening before treating you so that we can truly understand your condition and formulate a personalized treatment plan for your needs.

In addition to a history of success in the Affton, MO treatment of sciatica, our seasoned Affton area practitioners have what it takes to give you the care you need. Our team of experts in many different areas of the body and joint, nerve, and muscle conditions offer access to the care you need. Learn more below.

Types of Treatments for Sciatica in Affton, MO

Healthcare professionals and especially those specializing in spine health and neurology recommend some of the following as treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your primary care doctor, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Affton, MO, and any other necessary medical professionals will work in tandem to provide you with the sciatica care that is best suited for you.

Medications. There is some conflicting information about which drugs are effective for treating sciatica, but as with any medications for any condition, every medication comes with potential risks. Drugs for sciatica are most often used to aleviate symptoms, including the following types of medications:
- Anti-inflammatories
- Muscle relaxers
- Antidepressants
- Corticosteroids
- Anticonvulsants
- Opiod pain medications
Physical therapy. Physical therapy is a powerful sciatica care approach that is recommended for most patients with sciatica. Physical therapy employs a variety of treatment methods that address the body as a whole and repair the root cause of your sciatica pain. With the help of a qualified Affton, MO physical therapist and participating in your care can allow you to achieve pain relief, improve your mobility, heal stronger, avoid permanent damage and disability, and reduce the risk of future injuries or sciatica flair-ups. Your Affton, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to improve your posture, bring your body into balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and relieve pressure.
Injections. In some cases, your provider might recommend one more more injections to the affected area. If you are considering injections for your sciatica, your options include nerve root blocks, which apply the steroid and anesthetic combination directly to the root of the irritated nerve, or epidural injections, which deliver the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space surrounding the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in Affton, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily supress the irritation of the nerve to provide pain relief and potentially preserve mobility. Injection treatment effects can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
Surgery. Because of the risk involved, surgery is usually reserved for patients with the most severe symptoms or those who have not responded well to more conservative approaches. There are different surgical procedures for sciatica depending on the cause of the condition, including a microdiscectomy to remove a herniated disc or a laminectomy to remove bone spurs or parts of vertebrae putting direct pressure on your sicatic nerve. To optimize your ability to be successful in your surgery, surgery should be proceeded and followed by pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
You may be a candidate for sciatica surgery if:
- you experience incontinence
- imaging shows that you have spinal stenosis, where bone spurs are pressing on your sciatic nerve
- you have severe neurological dysfunction
- you have not experienced or are no longer experiencing permanent relief or healing with other treatments

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Benefits of Affton, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

The primary directive for sciatica patients is to stay active. Keeping an active lifestyle, stretching, and practicing exercises designed to help address sciatica are proven, necessary parts of any Affton, MO sciatica treatment plan.

The physical therapy we offer to sciatica patients in the Affton, MO area reflects the importance of movement. By working with a physical therapist near Affton, MO, you can strengthen and mobilize tissues in the lower back, pelvis, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs and find true relief from your sciatica.

Physical therapy for sciatica and other conditions is meant to:

Improve functional movement
Relieve sciatic nerve pain
Reduce muscle spasms
Restore function of the lumbar spine and the sacroiliac joint
Improve mobility of the lower body
Foster a better healing environment in the lower back
Restore overall balance and proper posture in the back and legs
Promote neurologic adaptations to reduce the perception of pain
Prevent future pain flareups and permanent nerve damage
Foster confidence in your ability to move pain-free

In order to restore your movement health and deliver you sustainable relief from sciatica pain, your Axes physical therapist in the Affton, MO area might include a variety of different treatment modalities in your sciatica treatment plan, such as:

Hot and cold therapies
TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stiumlation
Ultrasound
Flexbiliby and strength exercises
Joint manipulation
Soft tissue mobilization
Dry needling
Education and training for posure, safe technique, and activity modifications

Trust your movement health care team at Axes Physical Therapy to identify the sciatica treatment modalities you would benefit from most and work together with your full medical team to help you manage your sciatica symptoms, alleviate the underlying irritation of your sciatic nerve, and reclaim the strength, flexibility, and full range of motion of a healthy individual. Speak to a specialist in Affton, MO now to discuss your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Affton, MO Now

When the harrowing pain and infuriating limitations of sciatica get in the way of the life you want and the activities you enjoy, find a trustworthy sciatica treatment provider right away. Swift and personalized physical therapy for your sciatica in the Affton, MO area can relieve your pain and restore the mobility you require to go about your life.

Axes Physical Therapy offers accessible, convenient, and proven sciatica treatment near Affton, MO. Our fifteen Missouri physical therapy locations make it easy for you to get the care you need. Find the location nearest you or request an appointment online right now.