Sciatica in Country Life Acres, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to find words powerful enough to convey the intensity 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, get the care you need right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of multiple Country Life Acres, 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 conditions near Country Life Acres, MO. Talk to a physical therapist in the Country Life Acres area about your sciatica today or book an appointment online now.

Understanding 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 reaches back 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 radiates from this precise nerve path.

The term sciatica is not, in itself, a diagnosis, as many people believe. In fact, sciatica is only a word used to describe a set of symptoms connected to the sciatic nerve that arise when an existing medical condition results in the irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve. The symptoms of sciatica vary greatly, but generally 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 buttock, legs, or feet.

Do I Have Sciatica? – Sciatica Symptoms

The type and severity of sciatica symptoms vary from case to case. 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, loss of muscle function, tingling, and pain that worsens when 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. Most of the time, symptoms appear 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 on both sides. 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 Country Life Acres, MO sciatica sufferers. Pain from sciatica varies from:

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

If debilitating sciatica pain is degrading your quality of life, contact a medical professional specializing in spine health as soon as possible. Axes Physical Therapy’s Country Life Acres, MO area physical and occupational therapists will guide you in your recovery and craft 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 some form of irritation to or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. These cases are nearly always successfully cured with physical therapy in the Country Life Acres area targeted specifically to the source of nerve inflammation, and some even heal 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.

Often, 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 Country Life Acres, MO area physical therapists have the clinical success and up-to-date evidence-based knowledge you need and deserve from your sciatica treatment professional.

Common Reasons for Sciatica

• 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 Country Life Acres, MO?

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

• Age. Over the years, our bodies degrade over time.
• 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 joint-related diagnoses like osteoarthritis can cause pain and pressure on your spine and sciatic nerve.
• Occupation/Daily activities. Occupations 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 “couch potato” daily routine or use of nicotine can cause inflammation and weakness.

Finding the Right Country Life Acres, MO Area Sciatica Treatment

There are numerous approaches that are commonly used for sciatica patients. These treatments, which run the gamnut from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to surgical procedures, vary in proven efficacy. Regardless of their respective disciplines, medical providers who work with sciatica all recognize that physical activity 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 prior to taking any actions related to your medical care. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in the Country Life Acres, MO area are committed to providing Country Life Acres, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. For you, that includes examining your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other key information. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy treatment provider near Country Life Acres, MO will perform a free screening prior to beginning any treatment so that we can best understand your condition and formulate an individualized treatment plan for you.

In addition to a history of success in the Country Life Acres, MO treatment of sciatica, our seasoned Country Life Acres area practitioners will deliver the care you need. We apply our knowledge and experience working with kinesiology and the musculoskeletal system toward providing people like you in Country Life Acres, 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 Country Life Acres, 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 physician, Country Life Acres, MO Axes physical therapist, and any other necessary medical professionals will work in tandem to lay forth and carry out the most promising sciatica treatment plan for you.

• Medications. There is some disagreement surrounding which drugs are effective for treating sciatica, but just like with any medications for any condition, every medication comes with the risk of side effects, which can be severe. Largely used in mitigating 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 effecitve treatment for sciatica that is recommended for most patients with sciatica. Your physical therapist will use a wide range 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 Country Life Acres, MO area can help you enjoy freedom from pain, improve your mobility, become physically healthier, halt or prevent permanent disability and nerve damage, and protect against future injuries or return of your sciatica. Your Country Life Acres, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to improve your posture, restore balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and relieve pressure.
• Injections. In some cases, your provider 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 are used to inject a steroid and local anesthetic directly to the affected sciatic nerve root, or epidural injections, which administer the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space surrounding the nerve. Injections in Country Life Acres, MO area sciatica patients are often used to temporarily aleviate the irritation of the nerve to provide pain relief and potentially preserve the ability to function. Injection treatment effects can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several 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 different surgical procedures that can be used to address sciatic, such as 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 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 meaningful relief or healing with other treatments

Benefits of Country Life Acres, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

Staying active is one of the most important things for people with sciatica to do. Staying active, stretching, and practicing exercises designed to help address sciatica are proven, necessary in the treatment of sciatica for anyone in the Country Life Acres, MO area.

Coincidentally, these are all major elements to any physical therapy care we provide Country Life Acres, MO area sciatica patients through the Axes Physical Therapy network of physical therapy offices. By working with a physical therapist near Country Life Acres, 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

In order to restore your movement health and deliver you sustainable relief from sciatica pain, your Axes physical therapist in the Country Life Acres, 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 spine and musculoskeletal expert at Axes Physical Therapy to identify the sciatica treatment modalities best for you and act as an integral player in your larger 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 medical provider in Country Life Acres, MO now to learn about your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Country Life Acres, MO Now

When the harrowing pain and alarming limitations of sciatica get in the way of doing the activities that are important to you, find a trustworthy sciatica treatment provider right away. Timely and proven physical therapy for your sciatica in the Country Life Acres, MO area can relieve your pain and return you to optimal mobility.

Access convenient, effective sciatica treatment from Axes Physical Therapy near Country Life Acres, MO today. 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.