Sciatica in Hazelwood, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to adequately express the caliber of pain that accompanies it and the degree of distress and disability the condition can wreak on your life. 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 network of fifteen physical therapy treatment locations positioned near Hazelwood, MO and throughout Missouri. Our clinics specializing in movement health and owned and operated by our treating doctors are dedicated to providing you with thoughtful, personalized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other conditions near Hazelwood, MO. Contact a physical therapist in the Hazelwood area about your sciatica today or request an appointment online now.

What You Should Know About Sciatica

Sciatica describes the irritation of the sciatic nerve, which happens to be the most extensive nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve originates from the nerve roots in the lower spine, then from the pelvis it branches out to each buttock and runs 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 radiates from the path of the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica itself is not a diagnosis — contrary to popular assumption. In fact, sciatica describes a set of symptoms tied 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, weakness, numbness, or tingling down the buttock and leg. While low back pain in constrained to the immediate area around the back (though other conditions affecting the low back and lead to tightness, imbalance, and overcompensation that causes additional physical problems), you may find that your sciatica symptoms exist down into the buttock, legs, or feet.

Symptoms of Sciatica

Each individual experiences sciatica symptoms differently. The presentation of your sciatica 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 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. 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 the position of the compression or pinching of the nerve.

Pain is such a significant component of the sciatica experience for Hazelwood, MO sciatica sufferers. Sciatica pain can range 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 Hazelwood, MO will guide you in your recovery and craft a care plan with the best chance of success of restoring your mobility and freedom from pain.

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. These cases are nearly always successfully cured with physical therapy in the Hazelwood 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. 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 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 Hazelwood, 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

Are You at a Higher Risk of Developing Sciatica in Hazelwood, 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. As we age, 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. Diabetes causes a higher rate of nerve damage in patients, 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 choices like a sedentary lifestyle or smoking can cause weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

What Sciatica Treatments in Hazelwood, MO Are Right for Me?

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 proven efficacy. Regardless of their respective disciplines, medical providers who work with sciatica all recognize that being physically active is a critical component 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.

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 Hazelwood, MO area have dedicated our careers to guiding individuals of all types in the Hazelwood, MO area to optimal movement health. For you, that includes studying your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical details. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy treatment provider near Hazelwood, MO will complete a free screening before treating you so that we can truly grasp the big picture of your physical condition and develop a personalized treatment plan for your needs.

In addition to a history of success in treating Hazelwood, MO area sciatica patients, our experienced Hazelwood 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 Hazelwood, MO with many forms of care. Learn more below.

• 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 Hazelwood, MO

Healthcare professionals and especially those who are specialists in spinal care 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 Hazelwood, MO, and any other necessary medical professionals will work together as a team to provide you with the sciatica care that is best suited for you.

• Medications. There is some disagreement surrounding which drugs are effective for treating sciatica, but just like with any other drug, pharmaceuticals come 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 a powerful treatment for sciatica that is recommended for most patients with sciatica. Physical therapy employs a wide range of treatment services that target comprehensive movement health and repair the underlying cause of your sciatica pain. Working with a physical therapist in the Hazelwood, MO area can help you reach pain relief, improve your mobility, heal stronger, avoid permanent disability and nerve damage, and protect against future injuries or return of your sciatica. Your Hazelwood, MO physical therapist will treat your sciatica pain with treatment methods that improve your posture, restore balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and relieve pressure.
• Injections. For some patients with sciatica, a medical provider might try administering 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 a steroid and local anesthetic directly to the affected sciatic nerve root, or epidural injections, which deposit the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space enveloping the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in Hazelwood, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily aleviate the irritation of the nerve for the purposes of pain relief and potentially preserve movement abilities needed for daily living. Injection treatment effects can wear off in weeks or months.
• Surgery. Because of the risk involved, surgery 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 operations that can be used to address sciatic, including a microdiscectomy to remove a herniated disc or a laminectomy where the surgeon removes part of the vertebral bones to remove direct pressure on your sicatic nerve. To maximize your chances of success, any procedures 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
  • you have spinal stenosis, where bone spurs are putting direct pressure on your sciatic nerve
  • you have significant neurological dysfunction
  • you have not experienced or are no longer experiencing permanent relief or healing with other treatments

Benefits of Hazelwood, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

The medical community agrees that physical movement is one of the best things for someone with sciatica to do. Staying active, stretching, and performing exercises designed to help address sciatica are essential parts of any Hazelwood, MO sciatica treatment plan.

The physical therapy we offer to sciatica patients in the Hazelwood, MO area reflects the importance of movement. By working with a physical therapist near Hazelwood, MO, you can 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

In order to restore your movement health and deliver you sustainable relief from sciatica pain, your Axes physical therapist in the Hazelwood, MO area might include 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 identify the sciatica treatment modalities best for you. Your Hazelwood, MO physical therapist will work together with 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 specialist in Hazelwood, MO now to learn about your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Hazelwood, MO Now

When the excruciating 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. Swift and evidence-based physical therapy for your sciatica in the Hazelwood, MO area can free you from the pain and restore the mobility you depend upon to go about your life.

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