Sciatica in Bridgeton, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to capture in words the severity of pain it causes and just how disabling it can become. If you suspect that you may have sciatica or have been diagnosed with a sciatic nerve condition, seek expert medical care right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a network of multiple Bridgeton, MO area physical therapy treatment clinics. Our clinics specializing in movement health and owned and operated by our treating doctors are dedicated to providing you with sound, individualized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other movement complaints near Bridgeton, MO. Talk to a physical therapist in the Bridgeton area about your sciatica today or schedule an appointment online now.

What You Should Know About Sciatica

Sciatica describes the irritation of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve originates from the nerve roots located in the lower spine, then from the pelvis it reaches back to each buttock and travels down and through the back of each leg. People frequently confuse low back pain and sciatica, but sciatica is distinct in that the pain because the pain from sciatica runs along 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 related to the sciatic nerve that rear up when an underlying medical condition results in the irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica symptoms vary greatly, but generally include pain sensations, weakness, numbness, or tingling that can extend from the buttock all the way down the leg. Unlike low back pain, you may find that your sciatica symptoms exist down into the buttock, hamstrings, calves, or feet and heels.

Am I Suffering from Sciatica?

Each individual experiences sciatica symptoms differently. Your sciatica’s exact presentation is dictated by the positioning of the pressure or damage to the nerve root. Sciatica typically includes symptoms like pain, numbness, weakness, tingling, and pain that is aggravated by being in certain positions.

The hallmark of sciatica is the sensation of 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 where on the sciatic nerve the irritation or compression occurs.

With sciatica comes undeniable pain for anyone with the condition in Bridgeton, 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, get in touch with a medical professional with spine health expertise as soon as possible. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy near Bridgeton, MO will guide you in your recovery and craft a treatment approach with the best chance of success of restoring your mobility and freedom from pain.

Common 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 Bridgeton area targeted specifically to the source of nerve inflammation, 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.

In most cases, people with sciatica are not aware of what caused their condition. 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 Bridgeton, 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

Are You at a Higher Risk of Developing Sciatica in Bridgeton, MO?

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 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 joint-related diagnoses like osteoarthritis can cause 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 choices like a “couch potato” daily routine or smoking can lead to weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

Finding the Right Bridgeton, 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 surgical operations, vary in proven efficacy. Regardless of their respective disciplines, medical providers who work with sciatica all recognize that physical activity is a critical 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 turn to a licensed medical professional prior to making any decisions about your own medical care. Our Bridgeton, MO area physical and occupational therapists with Axes Physical Therapy have dedicated our careers providing Bridgeton, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. For you, that includes evaluating your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other key information. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy movement healthcare provider near Bridgeton, MO will provide a free screening before treating you so that we can best 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 the Bridgeton, MO treatment of sciatica, our experienced Bridgeton 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 Bridgeton, MO with many forms of care. 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 Bridgeton, MO

The medical community and especially medical professionals who are specialists in spinal care recommend some of the following as treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your primary care doctor, Bridgeton, MO Axes physical therapist, and any other necessary medical professionals will collectively to provide you with the sciatica care that is best suited for you.

• Medications. There is some conflicting information regarding which drugs are recommended for treating sciatica, but just like with any other drug, every medication comes with the risk of side effects, which can be severe. 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 a powerful treatment for sciatica that should be included in most sciatica treatment plans. Your physical therapy will involve a wide range of treatment modalities that target comprehensive movement health and repair the root cause of your sciatica pain. Working with a physical therapist in the Bridgeton, MO area can help you obtain freedom from pain, improve your mobility, become physically healthier, halt or prevent permanent disability and nerve damage, and protect against future injuries or sciatica flair-ups. Your Bridgeton, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to improve your posture, restore balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and relieve pressure.
• Injections. For some patients with sciatica, a doctor might recommend an injection or series of 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 enveloping the nerve. Injections for Bridgeton, MO area sciatica patients are often used to temporarily aleviate the irritation of the nerve to provide pain relief and maintain the ability to function. The effects can wear off in weeks or months.
• Surgery. Due to its risk and inherent invasive nature, surgical treatment is usually not considered unless you have severe symptoms or your condition has not responded well to more conservative treatment methods. There are a number of surgical procedures that can be used to address sciatic, including a microdiscectomy where the surgeon removes the herniated disc or a laminectomy where the surgeon removes part of the vertebral bones to remove direct pressure on your sicatic nerve. For best chances of success, surgery should be paired with pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You may be a candidate for sciatica surgery if:
  • you have loss of bowel or bladder control
  • you have spinal stenosis, where bone spurs are pressing on your sciatic nerve
  • you have severe neurological dysfunction
  • other treatment methods have not helped or are no longer effective

Benefits of Bridgeton, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

The primary directive for sciatica patients is to stay active. Staying active, stretching, and performing exercises designed to help address sciatica are highly effective and critical parts of any Bridgeton, MO sciatica treatment plan.

Coincidentally, these are all major elements to any physical therapy care we provide Bridgeton, MO area sciatica patients through the Axes Physical Therapy network of physical therapy offices. Your Axes physical therapist near Bridgeton, 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.

The goals of physical therapy and exercise in treating sciatica are 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 Bridgeton, 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 movement health care team at Axes Physical Therapy to determine the sciatica treatment modalities you would benefit from most and act as an integral player in your larger 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 Bridgeton, MO now to discuss your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Bridgeton, MO Now

When the agonizing pain and infuriating limitations of sciatica prevent you from doing the activities that are important to you, seek quality care for your sciatica right away. Swift and proven physical therapy for your sciatica in the Bridgeton, MO area can free you from the pain and return you to optimal mobility.

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