Sciatica in Osage Hills, MO. If you have ever known the pain associated with sciatica, you know how difficult it is to capture in words the caliber 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 group of fifteen physical therapy treatment locations positioned near Osage Hills, MO and throughout Missouri. Our locally-owned and operated movement wellness offices bring you thoughtful, personalized, strategic care for your sciatica or other conditions near Osage Hills, MO. Contact a physical therapist in the Osage Hills area about your sciatica today or schedule an appointment online now.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica describes the irritation of the sciatic nerve, the most extensive nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve begins in the nerve roots located in the lower spine to the pelvis, where it then branches out to each buttock and travels 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.

Sciatica itself is not a diagnosisas people commonly assume. In fact, sciatica describes conditions connected to the sciatic nerve that arise when an existing medical condition causes the sciatic nerve to be irritated, inflamed, pinched, or compressed. Sciatica symptoms range wildly, but commonly consist of various forms of pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling down the buttock and leg. Unlike low back pain, you may find that your sciatica symptoms exist down into the buttock, hamstrings, calves, or feet.

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 is aggravated by being in certain positions.

The hallmark of sciatica is 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. 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 down both nerve paths. This simply depends on the position of the compression or pinching of the nerve.

Pain is such a significant component of the sciatica experience for Osage Hills, MO sciatica sufferers. This nerve-related pain is described by patients as:

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

If debilitating sciatica pain is preventing you from living your life, reach out to a medical professional specializing in spine health immediately. Axes Physical Therapy’s Osage Hills, MO area physical and occupational therapists will lead you on your journey to a full recovery and craft a treatment plan to return you to the life you want to live.

Causes of Sciatica

For most individuals, their sciatica is caused by some form of irritation to or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve inflammation is easily cured with physical therapy in the Osage Hills area targeted specifically to the source of nerve inflammation, and some even heal naturally over time with proper exercise and self-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.

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 Osage Hills, 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 Reasons for Sciatica

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

Risk Factors for Sciatica near Osage Hills, 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. Diabetes causes a higher rate of nerve damage in patients, and conditions 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 inflammation and weakness.

Finding the Right Osage Hills, MO Area Sciatica Treatment

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 procedures, vary in proven efficacy. The one thing that medical professionals agree on when it comes to sciatica treatment is that physical activity is a critical part 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 turn to a licensed medical professional before making any decisions about your own medical care. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in the Osage Hills, MO area have dedicated our careers providing Osage Hills, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. In your case, that includes studying your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical factors. Your Axes medical professional specializing in movement health in Osage Hills, MO will provide a free screening prior to beginning any treatment so that we can best 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 Osage Hills, MO area sciatica patients, our experienced Osage Hills area providers have what it takes to give you the care you need. We apply our knowledge and experience working with kinesiology and the musculoskeletal system toward providing people like you in Osage Hills, 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 Osage Hills, MO

The medical community and especially medical professionals 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 physician, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Osage Hills, MO, and any other necessary medical professionals will collaborate to provide you with the sciatica care that is right for you.

• Medications. There is some disagreement regarding which drugs are recommended for patients with sciatica, but just like with any medications for any condition, pharmaceuticals come with potential risks. Largely used in reducing 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 an impactful treatment for sciatica that is recommended for most patients with sciatica. Your physical therapy will involve 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 Osage Hills, MO area can help you achieve freedom from pain, improve your range of motion, heal stronger, halt or prevent permanent disability and nerve damage, and prevent future injuries or sciatica flair-ups. Your Osage Hills, MO physical therapist will treat your sciatica pain with treatment methods that improve your posture, bring your body into balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and release pressure.
• Injections. In some cases, your doctor might recommend 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 affected sciatic nerve root, or epidural injections, which administer the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space surrounding the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in Osage Hills, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily aleviate the irritation of the nerve to provide pain relief and maintain mobility. The effects can wear off in weeks or months.
• Surgery. Because of how invasive and high risk it often is, surgery is usually not considered unless you have severe symptoms or your condition has not responded well to more conservative treatment methods. There are a number of surgeries for sciatica depending on the cause of the condition, including a microdiscectomy where the surgeon removes the herniated disc or a laminectomy to remove bone spurs or parts of vertebrae putting direct pressure on your sicatic nerve. To maximize your chances of success, any procedures should be paired with pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You should consider sciatica surgery if:
  • you experience incontinence
  • imaging shows that you have spinal stenosis, where bone spurs are pressing on your sciatic nerve
  • you have severe neurological dysfunction
  • other treatment methods have not helped or are no longer effective

Benefits of Osage Hills, 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 proven, necessary parts of any Osage Hills, MO sciatica treatment plan.

Coincidentally, these are all major elements to any physical therapy care we provide Osage Hills, MO area sciatica patients through the Axes Physical Therapy network of physical therapy offices. By working with a physical therapist near Osage Hills, 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 Osage Hills, 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 Osage Hills, MO physical therapist will act as an integral player in 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 physical therapist in Osage Hills, MO now to learn about your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Osage Hills, MO Now

When the agonizing pain and infuriating limitations of sciatica get in the way of the life you want and the activities you enjoy, seek quality care for your sciatica right away. Swift and proven physical therapy for your sciatica in the Osage Hills, MO area can free you from the pain and return you to optimal mobility.

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