Sciatica in Barnhart, MO. If you have ever known the pain associated with sciatica, you know how difficult it is to adequately express the intensity of pain that accompanies it and the degree of distress and disability the condition can wreak on your life. 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 group of multiple Barnhart, MO area physical therapy treatment clinics. Our clinics specializing in movement health and locally owned and operated are dedicated to providing you with thoughtful, individualized, strategic care for your sciatica or other conditions near Barnhart, MO. Speak to a physical therapist in the Barnhart area about sciatica care for you today or make an appointment online now.

What You Should Know About Sciatica

Sciatica is 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 located in the lower spine to the pelvis, where it then splits off 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 this precise nerve path.

The term sciatica is not, in itself, a diagnosisas people commonly assume. In fact, sciatica is only a word used to describe conditions tied to the sciatic nerve that surface when an underlying medical condition causes the sciatic nerve to be irritated, inflamed, pinched, or compressed. The symptoms of sciatica range wildly, but often consist of pain sensations, weakness, numbness, or tingling down the buttock and leg. Unlike low back pain, people with sciatica experience symptoms down into the glute area, legs, or 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. Sciatica typically includes symptoms like 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 follows the path of 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 down the right buttock and leg or the left buttock and leg. There are, however, exceptions, and some sciatica patients are affected down both nerve paths. This simply depends on the position of the compression or pinching of the nerve.

With sciatica comes undeniable pain for anyone with the condition in Barnhart, MO. Pain from sciatica varies from:

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

If you are suffering from the debilitating pain and other limiting symptoms of sciatica, speak to a medical professional with spine health expertise immediately. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy near Barnhart, MO will guide you in your recovery and design a plan of action with the best chance of success of restoring your mobility and freedom from pain.

What Causes Sciatica?

For most individuals, their sciatica is caused by the irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve inflammation is easily resolved with physical therapy in the Barnhart area designed to target the underlying cause of your sciatica symptoms, and some even resolve on their own over time with proper exercise and self-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.

A lot of times, 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 Barnhart, 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 Barnhart, 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 tied to sciatica include:

• Age. As we age, 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 back muscles in heavier individuals are forced to work harder to keep the body upright, and their spinal discs and other joints are under more pressure.
• Other medical conditions. Diabetes causes a higher rate of nerve damage in patients, and conditions like osteoarthritis can result in pain and pressure on your spine and sciatic nerve.
• Occupation/Daily activities. Jobs where you are required to lift heavy loads, perform frequent bending and twisting motions, or drive for long periods of time (which shakes the body through the vibrations of the vehicle on the road) can cause sciatica.
• Lifestyle. Lifestyle activities like a sedentary lifestyle or tobacco use can cause inflammation and weakness.

Finding the Right Barnhart, MO Area Sciatica Treatment

There are a variety of approaches that are often used for sciatica patients. Different treatment solutions, ranging from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to surgical operations, vary in proven efficacy. The one thing that medical professionals agree on when it comes to sciatica treatment is that being physically active is an essential component of managing and treating sciatica. This directly contradicts previous advice to confine patients to bed rest, which we now know is not effective in addressing disabiity or pain in patients.

Ultimately, you must seek the advice of a licensed medical professional before making any decisions about your own medical care. Our Barnhart, MO area physical and occupational therapists with Axes Physical Therapy have dedicated our careers to guiding individuals of all types in the Barnhart, MO area to optimal movement health. In your case, that includes understanding your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical details. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy movement healthcare provider near Barnhart, MO will perform a free screening prior to beginning any treatment so that we can truly grasp the big picture of your physical condition and formulate an individualized treatment plan for your needs.

In addition to specializing in the Barnhart, MO treatment of sciatica, our seasoned Barnhart area practitioners have what it takes to give you the care you need. We apply our knowledge and experience working with kinesiology and the musculoskeletal system toward providing people like you in Barnhart, MO with many forms of care, including the following

• 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

Popular Treatments for Sciatica in Barnhart, MO

Healthcare professionals and especially those specializing in spine health and neurology have found the following methods to be helpful in the treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your physician, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Barnhart, MO, and any other necessary medical professionals will collaborate to lay forth and carry out the most promising sciatica treatment plan for you.

• Medications. There is some conflicting information about which drugs are recommended for treating sciatica, but as with any other drug, every medication comes with the risk of side effects, which can be severe. Drugs for sciatica are most often used to supress 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 method that should be included in most sciatica treatment plans. Physical therapy employs a number of treatment modalities that address the body as a whole and directly heal the underlying cause of your sciatica pain. With the help of a qualified Barnhart, MO physical therapist and participating in your care can allow you to obtain freedom from pain, improve your movement ability, become physically healthier, halt or prevent permanent damage and disability, and protect against future injuries or return of your sciatica. Your Barnhart, MO physical therapist will treat your sciatica pain with treatment methods that improve your posture, bring your body into balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and relieve pressure.
• Injections. In some cases, your health care professional might try administering 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 surrounding the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in Barnhart, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily supress inflammation around the irritated nerve to provide pain relief and maintain the ability to function. Injection treatment effects can wear off in weeks or months.
• Surgery. Because of how invasive and high risk it often is, surgery is usually reserved for patients with the most severe symptoms or those who have not successfully healed with 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 surgery for your sciatica if:
  • you have loss of bowel or bladder control
  • you have bone spurs, known as spinal stenosis, pressing on your sciatic nerve
  • you have significant neurological dysfunction
  • you have not experienced or are no longer experiencing lasting relief or healing with other treatments

Benefits of Barnhart, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

The primary directive for sciatica patients is to stay active. Practicing physical activity, stretching, and practicing exercises designed to help address sciatica are proven, necessary in the treatment of sciatica for anyone in the Barnhart, MO area.

Coincidentally, these are all major elements to any physical therapy care we provide Barnhart, MO area sciatica patients through the Axes Physical Therapy network of physical therapy offices. Your Axes physical therapist near Barnhart, MO will guide you in activities and exercises that strengthen and mobilize tissues in the lower back, pelvis, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs and heal the source of 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

Your dedicated Barnhart, MO physical therapist will design a plan incorporating a number 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 spine and musculoskeletal expert at Axes Physical Therapy to determine the sciatica treatment modalities best for you and 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 medical provider in Barnhart, MO now to explore your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Barnhart, MO Now

When the agonizing 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. Receiving prompt and effective physical therapy for your sciatica in the Barnhart, MO area can relieve your pain and restore the movement you require to live your life.

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