Sciatica in West Alton, MO. If you have ever known the pain associated with sciatica, you know how difficult it is 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 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 fifteen West Alton, MO area physical therapy treatment clinics. Our locally-owned and operated movement wellness offices bring you thoughtful, personalized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other movement complaints near West Alton, MO. Speak to a physical therapist in the West Alton 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 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 confuse low back pain and sciatica, but sciatica is distinct in that the pain because the pain from sciatica follows the path of the sciatic nerve.

The term sciatica is not, in itself, a diagnosisas people commonly assume. In fact, sciatica is only a word used to describe a number of symptoms related 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 greatly, but commonly 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 glute area, hamstrings, calves, and feet and heels.

Am I Suffering from Sciatica?

Each sciatica patient experiences 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, numbness, weakness, tingling, and pain that worsens when in certain positions.

The hallmark of sciatica is 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.

With sciatica comes undeniable pain for anyone with the condition in West Alton, 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, get in touch with a medical professional with spine health expertise immediately. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy near West Alton, MO will lead you in your recovery and design a treatment approach to return you to the life you want to live.

What Causes 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 West Alton 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. 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.

Usually, 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 West Alton, MO area physical therapists are equipped to provide you with accessible, epirically-supported restorative care.

Common Reasons for Sciatica

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

Are You at a Higher Risk of Developing Sciatica in West Alton, MO?

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 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 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 use of nicotine can lead to weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

What Sciatica Treatments in West Alton, MO Are Right for Me?

There are a number of approaches that are commonly used for sciatica patients. These treatments, ranging 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 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.

Remember that it is your responsibility to seek the advice of a licensed medical professional before taking any actions related to your medical care. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in the West Alton, MO area have dedicated our careers to guiding individuals of all types in the West Alton, MO area to optimal movement health. In your case, that includes understanding your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other key details. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy movement healthcare provider near West Alton, MO will complete a free screening prior to beginning any treatment so that we can best understand your condition and formulate a personalized treatment plan for you.

In addition to a history of success in treating West Alton, MO area sciatica patients, our seasoned West Alton 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

• Shoulder Pain Treatment
• 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

Treatments Options for Sciatica in West Alton, 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 physician, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in West Alton, MO, and any other necessary medical professionals will collectively to provide you with the sciatica care that is right for you.

• Medications. There is some disagreement surrounding which drugs are recommended for treating sciatica, but as with any medications for any condition, pharmaceuticals come with risk. Largely used in mitigating 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 sciatica care approach that should be included in most sciatica treatment plans. Your physical therapist will use a number of treatment modalities that address the body as a whole and directly heal the root cause of your sciatica pain. With the help of a qualified West Alton, MO physical therapist and participating in your care can allow you to enjoy freedom from pain, improve your ability to move, become physically healthier, avoid permanent disability and nerve damage, and protect against future injuries or return of your sciatica. Your West Alton, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to improve your posture, bring your body into balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and release pressure.
• Injections. In some cases, your provider might recommend one more more injections to the affected area. If you are considering injections for your sciatica, your options include nerve root blocks, which apply 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 surrounding the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in West Alton, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily supress inflammation around the irritated nerve to provide pain relief and maintain movement abilities needed for daily living. Injection treatment effects can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
• Surgery. Because of the risk involved, surgical treatment is usually not considered unless you have severe symptoms or your condition has not successfully healed with more conservative approaches. There are different surgeries for sciatica depending on the cause of the condition, such as a microdiscectomy to remove a 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, surgery should be paired with pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You should consider surgery for your sciatica if:
  • you have loss of bowel or bladder control
  • you have bone spurs, known as spinal stenosis, 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 West Alton, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

The primary directive for sciatica patients is to stay active. Keeping an active lifestyle, stretching, and performing exercises that target the source of your sciatica are proven, necessary in the treatment of sciatica for anyone in the West Alton, MO area.

Coincidentally, these are all major elements to any physical therapy care we provide West Alton, MO area sciatica patients through the Axes Physical Therapy network of physical therapy offices. Your Axes physical therapist near West Alton, MO will guide you in activities and exercises that strengthen and mobilize tissues in the lower back, pelvis, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs and find true relief from 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

Your dedicated West Alton, 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 determine the sciatica treatment modalities best for you. Your West Alton, MO physical therapist will act as an integral player in your larger 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 West Alton, MO now to discuss your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in West Alton, MO Now

When the harrowing pain and alarming limitations of sciatica prevent you from doing the activities that are important to you, get quality care for your sciatica right away. Swift and proven physical therapy for your sciatica in the West Alton, MO area can relieve your pain and restore the movement you depend upon to live your life.

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