Sciatica in Earth City, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to capture in words the caliber of pain that accompanies it 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 the care of a medical professional right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of multiple Earth City, MO area physical therapy treatment clinics. Our clinics specializing in movement health and locally owned and operated are dedicated to providing you with sound, personalized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other conditions near Earth City, MO. Contact a physical therapist in the Earth City area about your sciatica today or schedule an appointment online now.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica describes the irritation of the sciatic nerve, the most extensive nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve begins in the nerve roots in the low end of the spine, then from the pelvis it branches out to each buttock and travels 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 diagnosis — contrary to popular assumption. In fact, sciatica describes a set of symptoms related to the sciatic nerve that rear up when an existing medical condition results in the irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve. The symptoms of sciatica range greatly, but commonly consist of pain, 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 glute area, hamstrings, calves, or feet and heels.

Do I Have Sciatica? – Sciatica Symptoms

Each sciatica patient experiences 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 worsens when in certain positions.

The hallmark of sciatica is the sensation of pain that travels along the sciatic nerve from the low spine to the pelvis, buttocks, and legs. Most of the time, symptoms appear only on one side — either the left or right hip and leg. However, it is possible for a patient to experience sciatic pain and symptoms on both sides. This is determined by where on the sciatic nerve the irritation or compression occurs.

With sciatica comes undeniable pain for anyone with the condition in Earth City, 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 Earth City, MO will guide you in your recovery and craft a treatment plan 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 the irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. These cases are nearly always successfully repaired with physical therapy in the Earth City area designed to target the underlying cause of your sciatica symptoms, or may 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.

Often, patients with conditions such as sciatica pain 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 Earth City, MO area physical therapists have the clinical success and up-to-date evidence-based knowledge you need and deserve from your sciatica treatment professional.

Most Common Sciatica Causes

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

Risk Factors for Sciatica near Earth City, MO

Certain activities and conditions could put you at a higher risk of developing painful, restrictive, debilitating conditions like sciatica. You are more likely to suffer from sciatica based on the following risk factors:

• 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 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 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 cause inflammation and weakness.

What Sciatica Treatments in Earth City, MO Are Right for Me?

There are a variety of treatments that are often used to treat sciatica patients. These treatments, which run the gamnut from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to intensive procedures, vary in proven efficacy. Regardless of their respective disciplines, medical providers who work with sciatica can all agree that being physically active is a critical part 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 turn to a licensed medical professional before taking any actions related to your medical care. Our Earth City, MO area physical and occupational therapists with Axes Physical Therapy are committed to providing Earth City, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. For you, that means evaluating your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical factors. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy treatment provider near Earth City, MO will complete a free screening before treating you so that we can truly understand your condition and develop an individualized treatment plan for you.

In addition to specializing in treating Earth City, MO area sciatica patients, our experienced Earth City area providers 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 Earth City, MO with many forms of care, including the following

• Neck Pain Treatment
• 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

Types of Treatments for Sciatica in Earth City, 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 primary care doctor, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Earth City, MO, and all other members of your treatment team will work together as a team 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 treating sciatica, but as with any medications for any condition, pharmaceuticals come with the risk of side effects, which can be severe. 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 treatment for sciatica that is recommended for most patients with sciatica. Your physical therapist will use a number of treatment services that target comprehensive movement health and repair the underlying cause of your sciatica pain. Working with a physical therapist in the Earth City, MO area can help you reach pain relief, improve your range of motion, heal stronger, halt or prevent permanent disability and nerve damage, and reduce the risk of future injuries or return of your sciatica. Your Earth City, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to improve your posture, restore 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. Common injection treatments for sciata are nerve root blocks, which are used to inject the steroid and anesthetic combination directly to the affected sciatic nerve root, or epidural injections, which aim the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space surrounding the nerve. Injections for Earth City, MO area sciatica patients are often used to temporarily supress the irritation of the nerve for the purposes of pain relief and potentially preserve mobility. The effects can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
• Surgery. Because of the risk involved, a surgical operation is usually reserved for patients with the most severe symptoms or those who have not responded well to more conservative treatment methods. There are different surgical procedures that can be used to address sciatic, 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 maximize your chances of success, operations 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, 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 Earth City, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

One of the best things you can do for your sciatica is to move. Staying active, stretching, and practicing exercises that target the source of your sciatica are proven, necessary parts of any Earth City, MO sciatica treatment plan.

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

The benefits of physical therapy for someone with sciatica include the following:

• 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 Earth City, 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 you would benefit from most and work together with 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 specialist in Earth City, MO now to discuss your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Earth City, 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. Swift and evidence-based physical therapy for your sciatica in the Earth City, MO area can free you from the pain and return you to optimal mobility.

Access convenient, effective sciatica treatment from Axes Physical Therapy near Earth City, 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.