Sciatica in Weldon Spring, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to adequately express the caliber of pain that accompanies it 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 Weldon Spring, MO area physical therapy treatment clinics. Our clinics specializing in movement health and owned and operated by our treating doctors are dedicated to providing you with sound, personalized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other conditions near Weldon Spring, MO. Contact a physical therapist in the Weldon Spring area about sciatica care for you today or schedule an appointment online now.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve originates from 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. Sciatica can be distinguished from general low back pain or other conditions because the pain from sciatica follows the path of the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica itself is not a diagnosisas people commonly assume. In fact, sciatica describes a set of symptoms related to the sciatic nerve that surface when an existing medical condition causes the sciatic nerve to be irritated, inflamed, pinched, or compressed. The symptoms of sciatica vary wildly, but commonly consist of various forms of 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 glute area, legs, and feet and heels.

Do I Have Sciatica? – Sciatica Symptoms

Each individual experiences sciatica symptoms differently. Your sciatica’s exact presentation is dictated by the positioning of the pressure or damage to the nerve root. Symptoms that accompany sciatica include pain, numbness, weakness, tingling, and pain that is aggravated by being in certain positions.

The distinguishing marker of sciatica is the sensation of pain that follows the path of 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 down the right buttock and leg or the left buttock 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 Weldon Spring, MO sciatica sufferers. Pain from sciatica varies from:

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

If you are suffering from the debilitating pain and other limiting symptoms of sciatica, speak to a medical professional specializing in spine health as soon as possible. Axes Physical Therapy’s Weldon Spring, MO area physical and occupational therapists will lead you in your recovery and design a plan of action with the best chance of success of restoring your mobility and freedom from pain.

What Causes 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 resolved with physical therapy in the Weldon Spring 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. 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.

Often, patients with conditions such as sciatica pain 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 Weldon Spring, MO area physical therapists are equipped to provide you with accessible, epirically-supported restorative care.

Most Common Sciatica Causes

• 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. Risk factors tied to sciatica include:

• Age. Over the years, our bodies degrade over time.
• Weight. The back muscles in heavier individuals are forced to work harder to keep the body upright, and their spinal discs and other joints are under more pressure.
• Other medical conditions. Diabetes causes a higher rate of nerve damage in patients, and conditions like osteoarthritis can result in pain and pressure on your spine and sciatic nerve.
• Occupation/Daily activities. Occupations 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 “couch potato” daily routine or smoking can lead to inflammation and weakness.

Finding the Right Weldon Spring, MO Area Sciatica Treatment

There are numerous approaches that are commonly used for sciatica patients. These treatments, which run the gamnut from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to surgical procedures, 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 a critical component 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.

Remember that it is your responsibility to 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 Weldon Spring, MO area are committed to providing Weldon Spring, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. For you, that means examining your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other critical details. Your Axes medical professional specializing in movement health in Weldon Spring, MO will complete a free screening before treating you so that we can best understand your condition and develop an individualized treatment plan for you.

In addition to a history of success in treating Weldon Spring, MO area sciatica patients, our seasoned Weldon Spring area providers 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

• 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 Weldon Spring, MO

Healthcare professionals and especially those specializing in spine health and neurology recommend some of the following as treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your physician, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Weldon Spring, MO, and any other necessary medical professionals will collaborate to provide you with the sciatica care that is best suited for you.

• Medications. There is some disagreement about which drugs are effective for treating sciatica, but just like with any medications for any condition, pharmaceuticals come with the risk of side effects, which can be severe. Drugs for sciatica are most often used to aleviate symptoms, including the following types of medications:
  • Anti-inflammatories
  • Muscle relaxers
  • Antidepressants
  • Corticosteroids
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Opiod pain medications
• Physical therapy. Physical therapy is a powerful sciatica care method that should be included in most sciatica treatment plans. Your physical therapist will use a wide range of treatment modalities that address the body as a whole and repair the source of your sciatica pain. Working with a physical therapist in the Weldon Spring, MO area can help you obtain freedom from pain, improve your ability to move, become physically healthier, avoid permanent disability and nerve damage, and prevent future injuries or sciatica flair-ups. Your Weldon Spring, MO physical therapist will treat your sciatica pain with treatment methods that improve your posture, restore balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and relieve pressure.
• Injections. For some patients with sciatica, a medical provider might recommend an injection or series of 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 aim the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space enveloping the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in Weldon Spring, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily aleviate inflammation around the irritated nerve for the purposes of pain relief and potentially preserve mobility. Injection treatment effects can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
• Surgery. Due to its risk and inherent invasive nature, a surgical operation is usually not considered unless you have severe symptoms or your condition has not responded well to more conservative treatment methods. There are different operations for sciatica depending on the cause of the condition, such as 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 sciatica surgery 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 meaningful relief or healing with other treatments

Benefits of Weldon Spring, 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 performing exercises designed to help address sciatica are highly effective and critical parts of any Weldon Spring, MO sciatica treatment plan.

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

Our physical therapy services work 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 Weldon Spring, 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 best for you. Your Weldon Spring, 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 physical therapist in Weldon Spring, MO now to discuss your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Weldon Spring, MO Now

When the agonizing pain and insurmountable 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 personalized physical therapy for your sciatica in the Weldon Spring, MO area can free you from the pain and restore the movement you require to live your life.

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