Sciatica in Marthasville, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to capture in words the severity of pain that accompanies it and just how disabling it can become. If you have been diagnosed with or believe you suffer from sciatica, or a condition that affects the sciatic nerve, seek the care of a medical professional right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of multiple physical therapy treatment locations positioned near Marthasville, 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, strategic care for your sciatica or other conditions near Marthasville, MO. Speak to a physical therapist in the Marthasville area about your sciatica today or book an appointment online now.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve begins in the nerve roots in the lower spine to the pelvis, where it then splits off 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 follows this precise nerve path.

Sciatica itself is not a diagnosis — contrary to popular assumption. In fact, sciatica describes a number 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. Sciatica symptoms range wildly, but frequently include 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 buttock, legs, or feet and heels.

Am I Suffering from 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, loss of sensation, 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. Typically, a patient with sciatica will experience symptoms 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.

With sciatica comes undeniable pain for anyone with the condition in Marthasville, 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, speak to a medical professional with spine health expertise as soon as possible. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy near Marthasville, MO will guide you on your journey to a full recovery and design a plan 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 the irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. These cases are nearly always successfully cured with physical therapy in the Marthasville area targeted specifically to the source of nerve inflammation, or may 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.

In most cases, 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 Marthasville, 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

Risk Factors for Sciatica near Marthasville, MO

You may be at a higher risk of developing sciatica and other physical and neurological conditions based on your background and activities. Risk factors associated with sciatica include:

• Age. As we age, 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 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 activities like a sedentary lifestyle or use of nicotine can cause weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

Finding the Right Marthasville, MO Area Sciatica Treatment

There are a number of approaches that are commonly used to treat sciatica patients. These treatments, which run the gamnut from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to surgical procedures, vary in proven efficacy. The one thing that medical professionals agree on when it comes to sciatica treatment is that being physically active is a critical part 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 consult with 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 Marthasville, MO area have dedicated our careers to guiding individuals of all types in the Marthasville, MO area to optimal movement health. For you, that means examining your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical information. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy movement healthcare provider near Marthasville, MO will provide a complimentary 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 specializing in the Marthasville, MO treatment of sciatica, our skilled Marthasville area practitioners will deliver 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

Popular Treatments for Sciatica in Marthasville, MO

Healthcare professionals and especially those specializing in spine health and neurology recommend some of the following as treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your primary care physician, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Marthasville, MO, and any other necessary medical professionals will work in tandem to provide you with the sciatica care that is right for you.

• Medications. There is some disagreement about which drugs are recommended for patients with sciatica, but just like with any other drug, pharmaceuticals come 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 is recommended for most patients with sciatica. Your physical therapy will involve 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 Marthasville, MO area can help you obtain pain relief, improve your mobility, become physically healthier, halt or prevent permanent damage and disability, and protect against future injuries or sciatica flair-ups. Your Marthasville, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to 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. Common injection treatments for sciata are nerve root blocks, which apply the steroid and anesthetic combination directly to the affected sciatic nerve root, or epidural injections, which deliver the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space surrounding the nerve. Injections for Marthasville, MO area sciatica patients are often used to temporarily supress the irritation of the nerve to provide pain relief and potentially preserve the ability to function. Injection treatment effects can wear off in weeks or months.
• Surgery. Because of the risk involved, a surgical operation is usually not considered unless you have severe symptoms or your condition has not responded well to more conservative approaches. There are a number of surgeries that can be used to address sciatic, 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 optimize your ability to be successful in your surgery, operations should be paired with 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 severe neurological dysfunction
  • you have not experienced or are no longer experiencing lasting relief or healing with other treatments

Benefits of Marthasville, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

One of the best things you can do for your sciatica is to move. Staying active, stretching, and performing exercises designed to help address sciatica are proven, necessary parts of any Marthasville, MO sciatica treatment plan.

The physical therapy we offer to sciatica patients in the Marthasville, MO area reflects the importance of movement. Your Axes physical therapist near Marthasville, MO will guide you in activities and exercises that strengthen and mobilize tissues in the lower back, pelvis, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs and heal the source of your sciatica.

The goals of physical therapy and exercise in treating sciatica are 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

Your dedicated Marthasville, MO physical therapist will design a plan incorporating 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 you would benefit from most. Your Marthasville, MO physical therapist will 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 physical therapist in Marthasville, MO now to explore your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Marthasville, MO Now

When the agonizing pain and insurmountable limitations of sciatica prevent you from doing the activities that are important to you, find a trustworthy sciatica treatment provider right away. Receiving prompt and thoughtful physical therapy for your sciatica in the Marthasville, MO area can relieve your pain and restore the movement you require to live your life.

Access convenient, effective sciatica treatment from Axes Physical Therapy near Marthasville, MO today. Our fifteen Missouri physical therapy locations make it possible for you to get quality care. Find the location nearest you or request an appointment online right now.