PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR SCIATICA

WHAT IS SCIATICA?

SCIATICA IS A COMMON CONDITION CHARACTERIZED BY PAIN, NUMBNESS, TINGLING, OR WEAKNESS THAT TRAVELS FROM THE LOWER BACK OR BUTTOCK DOWN THE BACK OF THE LEG. THESE SYMPTOMS OCCUR WHEN THE SCIATIC NERVE—THE LARGEST NERVE IN THE BODY—BECOMES IRRITATED, INFLAMED, OR COMPRESSED. WHILE MANY PEOPLE THINK SCIATICA IS A DIAGNOSIS, IT IS ACTUALLY A COLLECTION OF SYMPTOMS CAUSED BY AN UNDERLYING CONDITION.

THE SCIATIC NERVE IS FORMED BY NERVE ROOTS THAT EXIT THE LUMBAR SPINE BEFORE TRAVELING THROUGH THE PELVIS, BUTTOCK, AND INTO THE LEG. IRRITATION CAN OCCUR AT SEVERAL POINTS ALONG THIS PATH, MAKING A THOROUGH PHYSICAL THERAPY EVALUATION ESSENTIAL TO IDENTIFY THE TRUE SOURCE OF YOUR SYMPTOMS.

AT OUR CLINIC, OUR DOCTORS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY PERFORM A COMPREHENSIVE MOVEMENT AND ORTHOPEDIC ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE WHAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO YOUR SCIATICA AND DEVELOP AN INDIVIDUALIZED REHABILITATION PLAN TO HELP YOU RETURN TO DAILY ACTIVITIES WITH GREATER COMFORT AND CONFIDENCE.

COMMON CAUSES

SCIATICA MAY DEVELOP FROM A VARIETY OF MUSCULOSKELETAL AND NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. COMMON CAUSES INCLUDE LUMBAR DISC HERNIATION, DISC BULGING, DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE, LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS, NERVE ROOT COMPRESSION, PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME, SACROILIAC JOINT DYSFUNCTION, FACET JOINT IRRITATION, DEGENERATIVE CHANGES OF THE SPINE, REDUCED HIP MOBILITY, POOR LIFTING MECHANICS, PROLONGED SITTING, REPETITIVE BENDING OR TWISTING, MUSCLE IMBALANCES, CORE WEAKNESS, GLUTEAL WEAKNESS, AND ALTERED MOVEMENT PATTERNS. IDENTIFYING THE SPECIFIC CONTRIBUTOR IS ESSENTIAL BECAUSE TREATMENT VARIES DEPENDING ON THE SOURCE OF NERVE IRRITATION.

COMMON SYMPTOMS

SCIATICA OFTEN PRESENTS AS PAIN THAT RADIATES FROM THE LOWER BACK OR BUTTOCK INTO THE THIGH, CALF, OR FOOT. OTHER SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE SHARP OR BURNING PAIN, NUMBNESS, TINGLING, PINS AND NEEDLES, MUSCLE WEAKNESS, PAIN WITH SITTING, DIFFICULTY STANDING FOR LONG PERIODS, DISCOMFORT WHEN WALKING, LIMITED SPINAL MOBILITY, PAIN WITH BENDING OR LIFTING, OR SYMPTOMS THAT WORSEN WITH COUGHING OR SNEEZING. THE LOCATION, INTENSITY, AND BEHAVIOR OF THESE SYMPTOMS PROVIDE IMPORTANT CLUES DURING YOUR EVALUATION.

HOW PHYSICAL THERAPY CAN HELP

PHYSICAL THERAPY IS OFTEN RECOMMENDED AS A FIRST-LINE CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT FOR SCIATICA. OUR GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY THE MECHANICAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO NERVE IRRITATION WHILE IMPROVING MOBILITY, STRENGTH, MOVEMENT QUALITY, AND FUNCTION.

REHABILITATION FOCUSES ON RESTORING NORMAL MOVEMENT PATTERNS, IMPROVING LUMBAR AND HIP MOBILITY, OPTIMIZING CORE STABILITY, ENHANCING NEUROMUSCULAR CONTROL, REDUCING EXCESSIVE STRESS ON THE LUMBAR SPINE, AND GRADUALLY RETURNING YOU TO DAILY ACTIVITIES, WORK, EXERCISE, AND SPORTS. OUR APPROACH EMPHASIZES LONG-TERM RECOVERY AND REDUCING THE RISK OF RECURRENT SCIATICA.

YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPY EVALUATION

YOUR INITIAL VISIT BEGINS WITH A DETAILED REVIEW OF YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY, SYMPTOM PATTERN, DAILY ACTIVITIES, AND GOALS. A COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION MAY INCLUDE LUMBAR RANGE OF MOTION TESTING, HIP MOBILITY ASSESSMENT, MANUAL MUSCLE TESTING, CORE STRENGTH ASSESSMENT, NEUROLOGICAL SCREENING, REFLEX TESTING, DERMATOMAL AND MYOTOMAL ASSESSMENT, NEURAL TENSION TESTING, GAIT ANALYSIS, POSTURAL ASSESSMENT, FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT ANALYSIS, BALANCE TESTING, JOINT MOBILITY EXAMINATION, AND ORTHOPEDIC SPECIAL TESTS TO HELP IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF NERVE IRRITATION.

THIS COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT HELPS US DEVELOP AN INDIVIDUALIZED PLAN OF CARE BASED ON YOUR SPECIFIC PRESENTATION RATHER THAN APPLYING A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH.

OUR TREATMENT APPROACH

EVERY SCIATICA CASE IS DIFFERENT. DEPENDING ON YOUR EVALUATION FINDINGS, YOUR REHABILITATION PROGRAM MAY INCLUDE MANUAL THERAPY, THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE, PROGRESSIVE STRENGTHENING, CORE STABILIZATION, NEUROMUSCULAR RE-EDUCATION, MOTOR CONTROL TRAINING, MOBILITY RESTORATION, NERVE MOBILITY TECHNIQUES, HIP STRENGTHENING, POSTURAL RETRAINING, FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT RE-EDUCATION, ACTIVITY MODIFICATION, PATIENT EDUCATION, AND A PROGRESSIVE HOME EXERCISE PROGRAM. EVERY TREATMENT PLAN IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF YOUR SYMPTOMS WHILE SUPPORTING SAFE, LONG-TERM RECOVERY.

WHY CHOOSE US?

OUR DOCTORS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE, EVIDENCE-BASED CARE FOCUSED ON IDENTIFYING THE ROOT CAUSE OF YOUR SCIATICA RATHER THAN SIMPLY TREATING THE SYMPTOMS. WE COMBINE CLINICAL EXPERTISE, MOVEMENT ANALYSIS, ORTHOPEDIC REHABILITATION, AND PATIENT EDUCATION TO HELP YOU RETURN TO WORK, EXERCISE, SPORTS, AND THE ACTIVITIES YOU ENJOY WITH GREATER CONFIDENCE.

SCHEDULE AN EVALUATION

IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING PAIN, NUMBNESS, TINGLING, OR WEAKNESS THAT TRAVELS DOWN YOUR LEG, DON'T IGNORE THE SYMPTOMS. A COMPREHENSIVE PHYSICAL THERAPY EVALUATION CAN HELP IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF YOUR SCIATICA AND DETERMINE THE MOST APPROPRIATE PATH TO RECOVERY. CONTACT OUR CLINIC TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR INITIAL PHYSICAL THERAPY EVALUATION.