Sciatica in Portage Des Sioux, 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 it causes 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 expert medical care right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a group of multiple physical therapy treatment locations positioned near Portage Des Sioux, MO and throughout Missouri. Our clinics specializing in movement health and locally owned and operated are dedicated to providing you with thoughtful, personalized, strategic care for your sciatica or other movement complaints near Portage Des Sioux, MO. Speak to a physical therapist in the Portage Des Sioux area about your sciatica today or book 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 lower spine, then from the pelvis it reaches back to each buttock and runs down and through the back of each leg. People frequently confuse low back pain and sciatica, but sciatica is distinct in that the pain because the pain from sciatica radiates from this precise nerve path.

Sciatica itself is not a diagnosisas people commonly assume. In fact, sciatica is only a word used to describe conditions tied to the sciatic nerve that rear up when an existing medical condition causes the sciatic nerve to be irritated, inflamed, pinched, or compressed. Sciatica patients’ symptoms range greatly, but generally include 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 glute area, hamstrings, calves, and feet.

Am I Suffering from Sciatica?

Each individual experiences sciatica symptoms differently. Your sciatica’s exact presentation depends on where the damage or pressure is along 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 follows the path of the sciatic nerve from the low spine to the pelvis, buttocks, and legs. Most of the time, symptoms appear only on one side — either the left or right hip and leg. There are, however, exceptions, and some sciatica patients are affected on both sides. This is determined by where on the sciatic nerve the irritation or compression occurs.

With sciatica comes undeniable pain for anyone with the condition in Portage Des Sioux, MO. Sciatica pain can range from:

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

If debilitating sciatica pain is preventing you from living your life, reach out to a medical professional with spine health expertise immediately. Axes Physical Therapy’s Portage Des Sioux, MO area physical and occupational therapists will guide you on your journey to a full recovery and design a treatment approach with the best chance of success of restoring your mobility and freedom from pain.

Common 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 Portage Des Sioux area designed to target the underlying cause of your sciatica symptoms, or may even heal on their own over time with proper exercise and self-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.

A lot of times, people with sciatica do not know what caused their pain to begin with. You may have been in an accident or developed nerve irritation over time. Whatever the case may be, our Portage Des Sioux, 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

Major Risk Factors for Sciatica

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, 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 result in pain and pressure on your spine and sciatic nerve.
• Occupation/Daily activities. Trades 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 lead to weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

Finding the Right Portage Des Sioux, MO Area Sciatica Treatment

There are a number of approaches that are commonly used for sciatica patients. These treatments, which run the gamnut 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 can all agree that physical activity is a critical part of managing and treating sciatica. This directly contradicts previous advice to confine patients to bed rest, which we now know does not improve disabiity or pain in patients.

Remember that it is your responsibility to seek the advice of a licensed medical professional prior to making any decisions about your own medical care. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in the Portage Des Sioux, MO area are committed to to guiding individuals of all types in the Portage Des Sioux, MO area to optimal movement health. In your case, that includes examining your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical factors. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy movement healthcare provider near Portage Des Sioux, MO will complete a free screening before treating you so that we can best understand your condition and develop an individualized treatment plan for your needs.

In addition to a history of success in treating Portage Des Sioux, MO area sciatica patients, our experienced Portage Des Sioux 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO with many forms of care. Learn more below.

• 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
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

Popular Treatments for Sciatica in Portage Des Sioux, MO

Healthcare professionals and especially those who are specialists in spinal care recommend some of the following as treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your primary care doctor, Portage Des Sioux, MO Axes physical therapist, and all other members of your treatment team will work in tandem to lay forth and carry out the most promising sciatica treatment plan for you.

• Medications. There is some disagreement regarding which drugs are effective for patients with sciatica, but as with any medications for any condition, every medication comes with risk. 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 treatment for sciatica that should be included in most sciatica treatment plans. Your physical therapy will involve a number of treatment services that target comprehensive movement health and repair the underlying cause of your sciatica pain. With the help of a qualified Portage Des Sioux, MO physical therapist and participating in your care can allow you to achieve pain relief, improve your range of motion, become physically healthier, halt or prevent permanent damage and disability, and reduce the risk of future injuries or return of your sciatica. Your Portage Des Sioux, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to improve your posture, bring your body into 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 affected sciatic nerve root, or epidural injections, which deposit the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space surrounding the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in Portage Des Sioux, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily supress nerve inflammation to provide pain relief and potentially preserve movement abilities needed for daily living. Injection treatment effects can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
• Surgery. Due to its risk and inherent invasive nature, surgery is usually reserved for patients with the most severe symptoms or those who have not successfully healed with more conservative treatment methods. There are different operations that can be used to address sciatic, 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. For best chances of success, any procedures should be paired with pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You may be a candidate for surgery for your sciatica if:
  • you experience incontinence
  • you have spinal stenosis, where bone spurs are pressing on your sciatic nerve
  • you have significant neurological dysfunction
  • other treatment methods have not helped or are no longer effective

Benefits of Portage Des Sioux, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

The medical community agrees that physical movement is one of the best things for someone with sciatica to do. Keeping an active lifestyle, stretching, and performing exercises designed to help address sciatica are proven, necessary in the treatment of sciatica for anyone in the Portage Des Sioux, MO area.

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

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 Portage Des Sioux, 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 you would benefit from most. Your Portage Des Sioux, MO physical therapist will act as an integral player in your larger 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO now to learn about your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Portage Des Sioux, 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, get quality care for your sciatica right away. Swift and effective physical therapy for your sciatica in the Portage Des Sioux, MO area can relieve your pain and restore the mobility you depend upon to go about your life.

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