Sciatica in Owensville, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to find words powerful enough to convey the severity 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, get the care you need right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of fifteen physical therapy treatment locations positioned near Owensville, MO and throughout Missouri. Our locally-owned and operated movement wellness offices bring you thoughtful, personalized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other conditions near Owensville, MO. Contact a physical therapist in the Owensville area about your sciatica today or request an appointment online now.

Understanding Sciatica

Sciatica describes the irritation of the sciatic nerve, which happens to be the largest nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve begins in 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. Sciatica can be distinguished from general low back pain or other conditions because the pain from sciatica runs along the path of the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica itself is not a diagnosis, as many people believe. In fact, sciatica describes a number of symptoms connected to the sciatic nerve that rear up when an underlying medical condition results in the irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve. The symptoms of sciatica range wildly, but often include pain sensations, 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.

Symptoms of 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. Symptoms that accompany sciatica include pain, loss of sensation, loss of muscle function, 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 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 Owensville, 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, reach out to a medical professional specializing in spine health immediately. Axes Physical Therapy’s Owensville, MO area physical and occupational therapists will guide you in your recovery and craft a treatment approach with the best chance of success of restoring your mobility and freedom from pain.

Causes of Sciatica

For most individuals, their sciatica is caused by some form of irritation to or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. These cases are nearly always successfully repaired with physical therapy in the Owensville area targeted specifically to the source of nerve inflammation, or may even heal on their own 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.

Often, people with sciatica are not aware of what caused their condition. 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 Owensville, 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 Owensville, MO

Certain activities and conditions could put you at a higher risk of developing painful, restrictive, debilitating conditions like sciatica. Risk factors tied to sciatica include:

• Age. As we age, 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. 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. 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 smoking can lead to inflammation and weakness.

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

There are numerous approaches that are often used to treat sciatica patients. Different treatment solutions, which run the gamnut from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to intensive operations, vary in their accepted level of efficacy. The one thing that medical professionals agree on when it comes to sciatica treatment is that being physically active is an essential 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 is not effective in addressing disabiity or pain in patients.

Ultimately, you must consult with a licensed medical professional before taking any actions related to your medical care. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in the Owensville, MO area have dedicated our careers to guiding individuals of all types in the Owensville, MO area to optimal movement health. For you, that includes evaluating your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical factors. Your Axes medical professional specializing in movement health in Owensville, MO will provide a free screening prior to beginning any treatment so that we can truly grasp the big picture of your physical condition and formulate a personalized treatment plan for you.

In addition to specializing in treating Owensville, MO area sciatica patients, our experienced Owensville area providers 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

Treatments Options for Sciatica in Owensville, MO

Healthcare professionals and especially those who are specialists in spinal care have found the following methods to be helpful in the treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your physician, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Owensville, MO, and all other members of your treatment team will work together as a team to lay forth and carry out the most promising sciatica treatment plan for you.

• Medications. There is some conflicting information regarding which drugs are effective for treating sciatica, but as with any medications for any condition, pharmaceuticals come with the risk of side effects, which can be severe. 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 an impactful treatment for sciatica that is recommended for most patients with sciatica. Your physical therapist will use a wide range of treatment modalities that target comprehensive movement health and directly heal the underlying cause of your sciatica pain. With the help of a qualified Owensville, MO physical therapist and participating in your care can allow you to enjoy pain relief, improve your range of motion, become physically healthier, halt or prevent permanent damage and disability, and protect against future injuries or return of your sciatica. Your Owensville, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to improve your posture, restore balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and relieve pressure.
• Injections. In some cases, your provider might recommend one more more injections to the affected area. Common injection treatments for sciata are nerve root blocks, which apply 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 enveloping the nerve. Injections for Owensville, MO area sciatica patients are often used to temporarily aleviate inflammation around the irritated nerve to provide pain relief and maintain movement abilities needed for daily living. The effects can wear off in weeks or months.
• Surgery. Due to its risk and inherent invasive nature, surgical treatment is usually not considered unless you have severe symptoms or your condition has not responded well to more conservative treatment methods. There are different surgeries that can be used to address sciatic, 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. For best chances of success, any procedures should be paired with pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You should consider surgery for your sciatica if:
  • you experience incontinence
  • imaging shows that you have bone spurs, known as spinal stenosis, pressing on your sciatic nerve
  • you have significant neurological dysfunction
  • other treatment methods have not helped or are no longer effective

Benefits of Owensville, 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 designed to help address sciatica are proven, necessary in the treatment of sciatica for anyone in the Owensville, MO area.

The physical therapy we offer to sciatica patients in the Owensville, MO area reflects the importance of movement. By working with a physical therapist near Owensville, MO, you can strengthen and mobilize tissues in the lower back, pelvis, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs and find true relief from your sciatica.

The benefits of physical therapy for someone with sciatica include the following:

• 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 Owensville, 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 identify the sciatica treatment modalities you would benefit from most. Your Owensville, 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 medical provider in Owensville, MO now to learn about your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Owensville, 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, find a trustworthy sciatica treatment provider right away. Swift and effective physical therapy for your sciatica in the Owensville, 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 Owensville, 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.