Sciatica in Town and Country, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to find words powerful enough to convey the caliber of pain that accompanies it and the degree of distress and disability the condition can wreak on your life. 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 network of multiple Town and Country, MO area physical therapy treatment clinics. Our locally-owned and operated movement wellness offices bring you thoughtful, personalized, strategic care for your sciatica or other conditions near Town and Country, MO. Speak to a physical therapist in the Town and Country area about sciatica care for you today or make an appointment online now.

Understanding Sciatica

Sciatica describes the irritation of the sciatic nerve, which happens to be the most extensive nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve originates from the nerve roots in the low end of the spine to the pelvis, where it then splits off to each buttock and travels 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.

The term sciatica is not, in itself, a diagnosis — contrary to popular assumption. 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 symptoms range wildly, but frequently include pain, 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), you may find that your sciatica symptoms exist 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 depends on where the damage or pressure is along the nerve root. Symptoms that accompany sciatica include pain, numbness, loss of muscle function, tingling, and pain that worsens when in certain positions.

The hallmark of sciatica is the sensation of pain that follows the path of 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 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 Town and Country, MO. This nerve-related pain is described by patients as:

• 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 as soon as possible. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy near Town and Country, MO will lead you in your recovery and craft a plan to return you to the life you want to live.

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. These cases are nearly always successfully repaired with physical therapy in the Town and Country area designed to target the underlying cause of your sciatica symptoms, and some even resolve on their own 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.

In most cases, 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 Town and Country, 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

Major Risk Factors for Sciatica

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. 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 cause 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 habits like a sedentary lifestyle or use of nicotine can cause inflammation and weakness.

What Sciatica Treatments in Town and Country, MO Are Right for Me?

There are a number of treatments that are often used for sciatica patients. These treatments, ranging from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to surgical operations, vary in their accepted level of efficacy. The one thing that medical professionals agree on when it comes to sciatica treatment is that physical activity is an essential component 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 before making any decisions about your own medical care. Our Town and Country, MO area physical and occupational therapists with Axes Physical Therapy have dedicated our careers providing Town and Country, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. For you, that includes studying your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical details. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy movement healthcare provider near Town and Country, MO will perform a complimentary 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 the Town and Country, MO treatment of sciatica, our skilled Town and Country 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 Town and Country, MO with many forms of care. Learn more below.

• 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

Treatments Options for Sciatica in Town and Country, MO

Healthcare professionals and especially those specializing in spine health and neurology have found the following methods to be helpful in the treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your primary care doctor, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Town and Country, MO, and all other members of your treatment team will collectively 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 just like with any medications for any condition, every medication comes with potential risks. Drugs for sciatica are most often used to supress symptoms, including the following types of medications:
  • Anti-inflammatories
  • Muscle relaxers
  • Antidepressants
  • Corticosteroids
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Opiod pain medications
• Physical therapy. Physical therapy is an impactful treatment for sciatica that should be included in most sciatica treatment plans. Your physical therapy will involve a variety of treatment services that address the body as a whole and repair the source of your sciatica pain. Working with a physical therapist in the Town and Country, MO area can help you enjoy freedom from pain, improve your mobility, heal stronger, halt or prevent permanent disability and nerve damage, and prevent future injuries or sciatica flair-ups. Your Town and Country, 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 try administering one more more injections to the affected area. If you are considering injections for your sciatica, your options include nerve root blocks, which apply the steroid and anesthetic combination directly to the root of the irritated nerve, or epidural injections, which deposit the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space surrounding the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in Town and Country, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily aleviate nerve inflammation for the purposes of pain relief and maintain movement abilities needed for daily living. The effects can wear off in weeks or months.
• Surgery. Because of how invasive and high risk it often is, a surgical operation 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 operations for sciatica depending on the cause of the condition, such as 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 optimize your ability to be successful in your surgery, any procedures should be proceeded and followed by pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You should consider surgery for your sciatica if:
  • you lose control of your bowel and/or bladder
  • imaging shows that you have spinal stenosis, where bone spurs are pressing on your sciatic nerve
  • you have significant neurological dysfunction
  • you have not experienced or are no longer experiencing lasting relief or healing with other treatments

Benefits of Town and Country, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

One of the best things you can do for your sciatica is to move. Practicing physical activity, stretching, and practicing exercises that target the source of your sciatica are essential parts of any Town and Country, MO sciatica treatment plan.

Coincidentally, these are all major elements to any physical therapy care we provide Town and Country, MO area sciatica patients through the Axes Physical Therapy network of physical therapy offices. By working with a physical therapist near Town and Country, MO, you can 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 Town and Country, 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 movement health care team at Axes Physical Therapy to identify the sciatica treatment modalities you would benefit from most. Your Town and Country, 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 Town and Country, MO now to explore your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Town and Country, MO Now

When the harrowing pain and insurmountable limitations of sciatica prevent you from the life you want and the activities you enjoy, find a trustworthy sciatica treatment provider right away. Timely and personalized physical therapy for your sciatica in the Town and Country, MO area can free you from the pain and restore the movement you depend upon to live your life.

Access convenient, effective sciatica treatment from Axes Physical Therapy near Town and Country, 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.