Sciatica in Mapaville, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to find words powerful enough to convey the caliber of pain it causes 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, seek expert medical care right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a network of fifteen Mapaville, MO area physical therapy treatment clinics. Our clinics specializing in movement health and locally owned and operated are dedicated to providing you with sound, individualized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other conditions near Mapaville, MO. Talk to a physical therapist in the Mapaville area about sciatica care for you today or make an appointment online now.

What is 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 low end of the spine to the pelvis, where it then branches out to each buttock and runs down and through the back of each leg. People frequently mistaken low back pain for 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, as many people believe. In fact, sciatica is only a word used to describe conditions connected to the sciatic nerve that rear up when an existing medical condition causes the sciatic nerve to be irritated, inflamed, pinched, or compressed. The symptoms of sciatica range greatly, but often include pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling down the buttock and leg. Unlike low back pain, people with sciatica experience symptoms down into the buttock, hamstrings, calves, and 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, loss of muscle function, tingling, and pain that is aggravated by being in certain positions.

The hallmark of sciatica is pain that travels along 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 the position of the compression or pinching of the nerve.

With sciatica comes undeniable pain for anyone with the condition in Mapaville, 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 specializing in spine health immediately. Axes Physical Therapy’s Mapaville, MO area physical and occupational therapists will lead you on your journey to a full recovery and craft a treatment approach 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 cured with physical therapy in the Mapaville area targeted specifically to the source of nerve inflammation, and some even resolve 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.

Usually, 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 Mapaville, 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 Mapaville, MO?

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. 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 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 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 sedentary lifestyle or use of nicotine can cause weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

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

There are numerous treatments that are often used to treat sciatica patients. These treatments, ranging from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to surgical operations, vary in their accepted level of 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.

Remember that it is your responsibility to turn to a licensed medical professional before taking any actions related to your medical care. Our Mapaville, MO area physical and occupational therapists with Axes Physical Therapy are committed to providing Mapaville, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. For you, that means understanding your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical information. Your Axes medical professional specializing in movement health in Mapaville, MO will complete a free screening prior to beginning any treatment so that we can truly understand your condition and develop an individualized treatment plan for your needs.

In addition to specializing in treating Mapaville, MO area sciatica patients, our seasoned Mapaville area practitioners have what it takes to give you the care you need. Our team of experts in many different areas of the body and joint, nerve, and muscle conditions offer access to the care you need, 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 Mapaville, MO

The medical community and especially medical professionals specializing in spine health and neurology recommend some of the following as treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your primary care doctor, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Mapaville, MO, and all other members of your treatment team will collectively to provide you with the sciatica care that is right for you.

• Medications. There is some conflicting information surrounding which drugs are recommended for patients with sciatica, but just like with any other drug, every medication comes with the risk of side effects, which can be severe. Drugs for sciatica are most often used to supress symptoms, including the following types of medications:
  • Anti-inflammatories
  • Muscle relaxers
  • Antidepressants
  • Corticosteroids
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Opiod pain medications
• Physical therapy. Physical therapy is an impactful sciatica care approach that should be included in most sciatica treatment plans. Physical therapy employs a wide range of treatment methods that address the body as a whole and repair the source of your sciatica pain. With the help of a qualified Mapaville, MO physical therapist and participating in your care can allow you to achieve freedom from pain, improve your movement ability, become physically healthier, halt or prevent permanent damage and disability, and protect against future injuries or sciatica flair-ups. Your Mapaville, 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 doctor might try administering one more more injections to the affected area. If you are considering injections for your sciatica, your options include nerve root blocks, which are used to inject the steroid and anesthetic combination directly to the root of the irritated nerve, or epidural injections, which deposit the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space enveloping the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in Mapaville, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily supress the irritation of the nerve for the purposes of pain relief and potentially preserve mobility. The effects can wear off in weeks or months.
• Surgery. Because of the risk involved, surgical treatment is usually reserved for patients with the most severe symptoms or those who have not successfully healed with more conservative treatment methods. There are a number of surgeries 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 should consider sciatica surgery if:
  • you lose control of your bowel and/or bladder
  • imaging shows that you have spinal stenosis, where bone spurs are putting direct pressure on your sciatic nerve
  • you have significant neurological dysfunction
  • other treatment methods have not helped or are no longer effective

Benefits of Mapaville, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

The medical community agrees that physical movement is one of the best things for someone with sciatica to do. Practicing physical activity, stretching, and performing exercises that target the source of your sciatica are highly effective and critical parts of any Mapaville, MO sciatica treatment plan.

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

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 Mapaville, 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 movement health care team at Axes Physical Therapy to identify 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 medical provider in Mapaville, MO now to explore your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Mapaville, MO Now

When the harrowing pain and infuriating limitations of sciatica prevent you from doing the activities that are important to you, find a trustworthy sciatica treatment provider right away. Timely and personalized physical therapy for your sciatica in the Mapaville, MO area can relieve your pain and return you to optimal mobility.

Axes Physical Therapy offers accessible, convenient, and proven sciatica treatment near Mapaville, 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.