Sciatica in Avon, MO. If you have ever known the pain associated with sciatica, you know how difficult it is to adequately express the severity of pain that accompanies it and just how disabling it can become. If you have been diagnosed with or believe you suffer from sciatica, or a condition that affects the sciatic nerve, seek expert medical care right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a network of multiple physical therapy treatment locations positioned near Avon, MO and throughout Missouri. These provider-owned and operated movement wellness offices bring you thoughtful, individualized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other movement complaints near Avon, MO. Speak to a physical therapist in the Avon area about sciatica care for you today or book an appointment online now.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica describes the irritation of the sciatic nerve, which happens to be the largest nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve originates from the nerve roots in the low end of the spine to the pelvis, where it then reaches back to each buttock and runs down and through the back of each leg. People frequently mistaken low back pain for sciatica, but sciatica is distinct in that the pain because the pain from sciatica radiates from the path of the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica itself is not a diagnosisas people commonly assume. In fact, sciatica is only a word used to describe a number of symptoms tied to the sciatic nerve that surface when an existing medical condition results in the irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica patients’ symptoms vary greatly, but frequently include pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling that can extend from the buttock all the way down the leg. Unlike low back pain, people with sciatica experience symptoms down into the buttock, hamstrings, calves, and feet and heels.

Symptoms of Sciatica

The type and severity of sciatica symptoms vary from case to case. 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, loss of muscle function, tingling, and pain that is aggravated by being in certain positions.

The hallmark of sciatica is pain that travels along the sciatic nerve which begins in the lower spine and travels through the hips and posterior, down the back of each leg. 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 on both sides. This is determined by the position of the compression or pinching of the nerve.

With sciatica comes undeniable pain for anyone with the condition in Avon, MO. This nerve-related pain is described by patients as:

• Sharp
• Jolting
• Shooting
• Burning
• Electric
• Stabbing
• Tingling

If debilitating sciatica pain is degrading your quality of life, reach out to a medical professional specializing in spine health right away. Axes Physical Therapy’s Avon, MO area physical and occupational therapists will guide you on your journey to a full recovery and craft a plan of action to return you to the life you want to live.

What Causes 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 Avon area targeted specifically to the source of nerve inflammation, and some even resolve on their own as time passes and you practice safe exercise and home care. However, for patients suffering from sciatica due to the direct compression of the sciatic nerve, more aggressive treatments like invasive surgery may be used.

In most cases, people with sciatica do not know what caused their pain to begin with. Whether you suffered an acute injury while playing sports or being active or woke up one day with sharp pains down your left leg that you can’t explain, our Avon, MO area physical therapists are equipped to provide you with accessible, epirically-supported restorative care.

Common Causes of Sciatica Pain

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

Risk Factors for Sciatica near Avon, MO

You may be at a higher risk of developing sciatica and other physical and neurological conditions based on your background and activities. Risk factors associated with sciatica include:

• Age. Over the years, the tissues in 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. Diabetic patients are suseptable to nerve damage, and joint-related diagnoses like osteoarthritis can result in 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 activities like a sedentary lifestyle or tobacco use can lead to weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

Finding the Right Avon, MO Area Sciatica Treatment

There are numerous treatments that are commonly used for sciatica patients. Different treatment solutions, which run the gamnut from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to intensive operations, vary in their accepted level of efficacy. Regardless of their respective disciplines, medical providers who work with sciatica can all agree that physical activity is an essential part of managing and treating sciatica. This directly contradicts previous advice to confine patients to bed rest, which we now know does not improve disabiity or pain in patients.

Ultimately, you must consult with a licensed medical professional before making any decisions about your own medical care. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in the Avon, MO area are committed to providing Avon, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. For you, that includes understanding your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other key details. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy treatment provider near Avon, MO will complete a free screening prior to beginning any treatment so that we can truly grasp the big picture of your physical condition and formulate a personalized treatment plan for your needs.

In addition to a history of success in treating Avon, MO area sciatica patients, our experienced Avon area providers will deliver 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.

• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

Types of Treatments for Sciatica in Avon, MO

Healthcare professionals and especially those who are specialists in spinal care recommend some of the following as treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your primary care physician, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Avon, MO, and all other members of your treatment team will work in tandem to lay forth and carry out the most promising sciatica treatment plan for you.

• Medications. There is some disagreement about which drugs are effective for patients with sciatica, but just like with any medications for any condition, every medication comes with potential risks. Largely used in managing the experience of sciatica symptoms, some drugs that can be used for sciatca patients include:
  • Anti-inflammatories
  • Muscle relaxers
  • Antidepressants
  • Corticosteroids
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Opiod pain medications
• Physical therapy. Physical therapy is an impactful treatment for sciatica 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 source of your sciatica pain. Working with a physical therapist in the Avon, MO area can help you obtain pain relief, improve your movement ability, become physically healthier, avoid permanent disability and nerve damage, and protect against future injuries or return of your sciatica. Your Avon, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to improve your posture, bring your body into balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and release pressure.
• Injections. In some cases, your medical 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 are used to inject the steroid and anesthetic combination directly to the root of the irritated nerve, or epidural injections, which aim the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space enveloping the nerve. Injections in Avon, MO area sciatica patients are often used to temporarily aleviate the irritation of the nerve for the purposes of pain relief and maintain the ability to function. Injection treatment effects can wear off in weeks or months.
• Surgery. Because of the risk involved, a surgical operation is usually not considered unless you have severe symptoms or your condition has not responded well to more conservative approaches. There are a number of operations that can be used to address sciatic, such as a microdiscectomy where the surgeon removes the herniated disc or a laminectomy to remove bone spurs or parts of vertebrae putting direct pressure on your sicatic nerve. For best chances of success, surgery should be proceeded and followed by pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You may be a candidate for sciatica surgery if:
  • you lose control of your bowel and/or bladder
  • imaging shows that you have spinal stenosis, where bone spurs are putting direct pressure on your sciatic nerve
  • you have severe neurological dysfunction
  • other treatment methods have not helped or are no longer effective

Benefits of Avon, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

The medical community agrees that physical movement is one of the best things for someone with sciatica to do. Keeping an active lifestyle, stretching, and performing exercises designed to help address sciatica are essential in the treatment of sciatica for anyone in the Avon, MO area.

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

Our physical therapy services work 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

Your dedicated Avon, MO physical therapist will design a plan incorporating 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 determine the sciatica treatment modalities you would benefit from most. Your Avon, MO physical therapist will act as an integral player in your full healthcare 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 physical therapist in Avon, MO now to explore your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Avon, MO Now

When the harrowing pain and infuriating limitations of sciatica prevent you from doing the activities that are important to you, get quality care for your sciatica right away. Receiving prompt and personalized physical therapy for your sciatica in the Avon, MO area can free you from the pain and return you to optimal mobility.

Access convenient, effective sciatica treatment from Axes Physical Therapy near Avon, MO today. Our fifteen Missouri physical therapy locations make it simple for you to get quality care. Find the location nearest you or request an appointment online right now.