Sciatica: Causes, Symptoms, and Effective Treatments
Imagine waking up one morning to a sharp pain shooting down from your lower back through your leg. This is exactly what happened to a recent patient of ours, who struggled with the pain–officially known as sciatica–for months before finding relief. Eventually, he turned to physical therapy for a personalized sciatica treatment plan.
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back down to your legs, becomes irritated. The right approach to treatment is essential, and that’s exactly what we offered this patient at Elliott Physical Therapy. With a little help from our team of movement experts, he regained his comfort and mobility and is back to enjoying his favorite activities.
Today, we want to provide an in-depth overview of sciatica: what it is, what it isn’t, and why physical therapy is a great choice for addressing it.
Understand Sciatica Causes and Symptoms
Sciatica is somewhat misunderstood. People will use the term to describe any kind of back or leg pain. However, true sciatica only refers to pain caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, which triggers that distinct, sharp pain that sets sciatica apart from general muscle soreness or stiffness.
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body and runs from your lower back down to your feet. When this nerve becomes compressed or irritated, it can lead to shooting pain, tingling, or numbness that radiates from your lower back all the way down one leg. It’s important to remember that sciatica typically only affects one side of the body and follows a consistent path down the back of the leg.
The most common cause of sciatica by far is a herniated disc, which occurs when an intervertebral disc bulges or ruptures and irritates the sciatic nerve root, leading to symptoms. Spinal stenosis, which occurs when the spinal column narrows, can also cause sciatica if the narrowing compresses the sciatic nerve.
Exploring Sciatica Treatment Options
Our first step in addressing sciatica is conducting a comprehensive assessment in which we evaluate your movement, posture, and pain triggers to pinpoint the underlying cause of your symptoms. From there, we’ll create a personalized sciatica treatment plan that focuses on restoring function and reducing discomfort.
First off, we’ll work with you to provide acute pain relief. We often do this through manual therapy, which helps loosen tight muscles, improve spinal mobility, and promote blood circulation to your back, which helps facilitate your body’s natural healing process.
Pain management helps prepare you for the core component of our sciatica treatment programs: Exercise. We’ll guide you through specific exercises to strengthen the muscles around your spine and pelvis, relieving pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Start Your Sciatica Treatment Program Today
Are you struggling with sciatica? Elliott Physical Therapy does more than just mask your symptoms or provide temporary relief. Instead, we focus on resolving the underlying cause of your sciatica, helping you return to your daily activities with confidence.
Schedule an appointment to learn how our specialized care can help you feel better and stay better.