Sciatica in Hopewell, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to adequately express the ferocity 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 network of multiple physical therapy treatment locations positioned near Hopewell, MO and throughout Missouri. Our locally-owned and operated movement wellness offices bring you sound, personalized, strategic care for your sciatica or other movement complaints near Hopewell, MO. Contact a physical therapist in the Hopewell area about your sciatica today or request an appointment online now.

What You Should Know About Sciatica

Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve originates from the nerve roots located in the low end of the spine to the pelvis, where it then splits off 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 follows this precise nerve path.

The term sciatica is not, in itself, a diagnosis — contrary to popular assumption. In fact, sciatica describes conditions related to the sciatic nerve that arise when an underlying medical condition causes the sciatic nerve to be irritated, inflamed, pinched, or compressed. The symptoms of sciatica vary greatly, but frequently consist of pain sensations, 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), people with sciatica experience symptoms down into the glute area, legs, or feet and heels.

Do I Have Sciatica? – Sciatica Symptoms

Each individual experiences sciatica symptoms differently. Your sciatica’s exact presentation depends on where the damage or pressure is along the nerve root. Symptoms that accompany sciatica include pain, loss of sensation, weakness, tingling, and pain that is aggravated by being in certain positions.

The distinguishing marker of sciatica is the sensation of pain that travels along the sciatic nerve which begins in the lower spine and travels through the hips and posterior, down the back of each leg. 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.

Pain is such a significant component of the sciatica experience for Hopewell, 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, contact a medical professional specializing in spine health immediately. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy near Hopewell, MO will guide you on your journey to a full recovery and craft a plan of action 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. Sciatic nerve inflammation is easily repaired with physical therapy in the Hopewell area targeted specifically to the source of nerve inflammation, or may even resolve on their own 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 are not aware of what caused their condition. You may have been in an accident or developed nerve irritation over time. Whatever the case may be, our Hopewell, MO area physical therapists are equipped to provide you with accessible, epirically-supported restorative care.

Most Common Sciatica Causes

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

Major Risk Factors for Sciatica

You may be at a higher risk of developing sciatica and other physical and neurological conditions based on your background and activities. You are more likely to suffer from sciatica based on the following risk factors:

• 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. Diabetic patients are suseptable to nerve damage, and conditions like osteoarthritis can result in pain and pressure on your spine and sciatic nerve.
• Occupation/Daily activities. Trades 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 lead to weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

What Sciatica Treatment Options Do I Have in Hopewell, MO?

There are numerous treatments that are often used to treat sciatica patients. These treatments, which run the gamnut 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 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.

Remember that it is your responsibility to seek the advice of a licensed medical professional prior to making any decisions about your own medical care. Our Hopewell, MO area physical and occupational therapists with Axes Physical Therapy have dedicated our careers to guiding individuals of all types in the Hopewell, MO area to optimal movement health. For you, that means studying your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical factors. Your Axes medical professional specializing in movement health in Hopewell, MO will complete a free screening before treating you so that we can best grasp the big picture of your physical condition and develop an individualized treatment plan for your needs.

In addition to a history of success in treating Hopewell, MO area sciatica patients, our skilled Hopewell 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 Hopewell, 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

Treatments Options for Sciatica in Hopewell, 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 Hopewell, MO, and all other members of your treatment team will work together as a team to provide you with the sciatica care that is right for you.

• Medications. There is some disagreement about which drugs are recommended for treating sciatica, but just like with any medications for any condition, every medication comes with risk. 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 a powerful sciatica care method that should be included in most sciatica treatment plans. Your physical therapist will use a wide range of treatment methods that address the body as a whole and directly heal the root cause of your sciatica pain. Working with a physical therapist in the Hopewell, MO area can help you obtain freedom from pain, improve your range of motion, become physically healthier, avoid permanent disability and nerve damage, and reduce the risk of future injuries or sciatica flair-ups. Your Hopewell, MO physical therapist will treat your sciatica pain with treatment methods that improve your posture, restore balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and release pressure.
• Injections. For some patients with sciatica, a 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 the steroid and anesthetic combination directly to the root of the irritated nerve, or epidural injections, which administer the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space enveloping the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in Hopewell, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily aleviate nerve inflammation to provide pain relief and maintain movement abilities needed for daily living. Injection treatment effects can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
• Surgery. Due to its risk and inherent invasive nature, a surgical operation is usually not considered unless you have severe symptoms or your condition has not successfully healed with more conservative treatment methods. There are a number of operations for sciatica depending on the cause of the condition, such as 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. To maximize your chances of success, surgery should be proceeded and followed by pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You should consider sciatica surgery if:
  • you have loss of bowel or bladder control
  • imaging shows that you have spinal stenosis, where bone spurs are 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 Hopewell, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

Staying active is one of the most important things for people with sciatica to do. Practicing physical activity, stretching, and performing exercises that target the source of your sciatica are essential parts of any Hopewell, MO sciatica treatment plan.

Coincidentally, these are all major elements to any physical therapy care we provide Hopewell, MO area sciatica patients through the Axes Physical Therapy network of physical therapy offices. By working with a physical therapist near Hopewell, MO, you can strengthen and mobilize tissues in the lower back, pelvis, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs and find true relief from 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 Hopewell, 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 determine the sciatica treatment modalities best for you and act as an integral player in your full 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 specialist in Hopewell, MO now to discuss your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Hopewell, MO Now

When the excruciating pain and insurmountable 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 strategic physical therapy for your sciatica in the Hopewell, MO area can relieve your pain and return you to optimal mobility.

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