Sciatica in Murphy, MO. If you have ever known the pain associated with sciatica, you know how difficult it is to capture in words the intensity 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 expert medical care right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a network of fifteen physical therapy treatment locations positioned near Murphy, MO and throughout Missouri. Our clinics specializing in movement health and owned and operated by our treating doctors are dedicated to providing you with sound, individualized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other movement complaints near Murphy, MO. Talk to a physical therapist in the Murphy area about your sciatica today or request an appointment online now.

Understanding Sciatica

Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve begins in the nerve roots located in the lower spine, then from the pelvis it 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 radiates from the path of the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica itself is not a diagnosis — contrary to popular assumption. In fact, sciatica is only a word used to describe a number of symptoms tied to the sciatic nerve that rear up when an underlying medical condition results in the irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica patients’ symptoms vary wildly, but frequently include pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling that can extend from the buttock all the way down the leg. Unlike low back pain, people with sciatica experience symptoms down into the buttock, hamstrings, calves, and feet.

Do I Have Sciatica? – Sciatica Symptoms

The type and severity of sciatica symptoms vary from case to case. The presentation of your sciatica 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 hallmark 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 the left or right hip and leg. However, it is possible for a patient to experience sciatic pain and symptoms down both nerve paths. 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 Murphy, MO. Pain from sciatica varies from:

• Sharp
• Jolting
• Shooting
• Burning
• Electric
• Stabbing
• Tingling

If debilitating sciatica pain is degrading your quality of life, speak to a medical professional with spine health expertise immediately. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy near Murphy, MO will lead you in your recovery and craft a treatment 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. Sciatic nerve inflammation is easily cured with physical therapy in the Murphy area designed to target the underlying cause of your sciatica symptoms, 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.

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

Common Causes of Sciatica Pain

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

Risk Factors for Sciatica near Murphy, 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. Over the years, the tissues in our bodies degrade over time.
• 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. 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 lead to weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

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

There are a variety of approaches that are commonly used for sciatica patients. Different treatment solutions, which run the gamnut from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to surgical procedures, vary in proven efficacy. Regardless of their respective disciplines, medical providers who work with sciatica all recognize that being physically active is an essential 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.

Ultimately, you must 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 Murphy, MO area are committed to providing Murphy, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. In your case, that includes understanding your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other key details. Your Axes medical professional specializing in movement health in Murphy, MO will perform a complimentary screening before treating you so that we can best understand your condition and formulate a personalized treatment plan for you.

In addition to specializing in the Murphy, MO treatment of sciatica, our skilled Murphy 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

• Back Pain Treatment
• 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

Types of Treatments for Sciatica in Murphy, 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 physician, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Murphy, 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 recommended for treating sciatica, but just like with any medications for any condition, every medication comes 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 sciatica care approach that is recommended for most patients with sciatica. Your physical therapist will use a variety of treatment modalities that target comprehensive movement health and repair the source of your sciatica pain. Working with a physical therapist in the Murphy, MO area can help you reach freedom from pain, improve your ability to move, heal stronger, halt or prevent permanent disability and nerve damage, and reduce the risk of future injuries or sciatica flair-ups. Your Murphy, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to improve your posture, restore balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and release pressure.
• Injections. For some patients with sciatica, a health care professional might try administering one more more injections to the affected area. Common injection treatments for sciata are nerve root blocks, which are used to inject a steroid and local anesthetic directly to the root of the irritated nerve, or epidural injections, which administer the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space surrounding the nerve. Injections in Murphy, MO area sciatica patients are often used to temporarily aleviate nerve inflammation to provide pain relief and potentially preserve mobility. The 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 a number of surgical procedures for sciatica depending on the cause of the condition, 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, operations should be proceeded and followed by pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You should consider surgery for your sciatica if:
  • you have loss of bowel or bladder control
  • 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 permanent relief or healing with other treatments

Benefits of Murphy, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

Staying active is one of the most important things for people with sciatica to do. Keeping an active lifestyle, stretching, and practicing exercises designed to help address sciatica are highly effective and critical parts of any Murphy, MO sciatica treatment plan.

Coincidentally, these are all major elements to any physical therapy care we provide Murphy, MO area sciatica patients through the Axes Physical Therapy network of physical therapy offices. By working with a physical therapist near Murphy, MO, you can strengthen and mobilize tissues in the lower back, pelvis, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs and find true relief from 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 Murphy, 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 best for you. Your Murphy, MO physical therapist will work together with 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 Murphy, MO now to explore your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Murphy, MO Now

When the agonizing pain and infuriating limitations of sciatica get in the way of doing the activities that are important to you, seek quality care for your sciatica right away. Swift and effective physical therapy for your sciatica in the Murphy, MO area can free you from the pain and return you to optimal mobility.

Axes Physical Therapy offers accessible, convenient, and proven sciatica treatment near Murphy, MO. Our fifteen Missouri physical therapy locations make it easy for you to get the care you need. Find the location nearest you or request an appointment online right now.