Treating sciatica with physiotherapy often means treating another condition entirely!
Is your lower back discomfort accompanied by sharp, shooting pain down the back of your leg? You may be experiencing sciatica, an often-debilitating impairment of the sciatic nerve. Fortunately, treating sciatica with physiotherapy isn’t a complicated process, and the team at Stride Sports & Physiotherapy will help you find a solution that works for you.
Sciatica as a term is fairly misunderstood. Many people will use it to describe any pain in the lower body, but it refers specifically to an impairment of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back through the buttocks and all the way down to your foot. People almost always experience sciatica in only one leg.
Another critical component of sciatica is that it is often extremely painful, profoundly impacting your day-to-day life. If you’re living with sciatica, you’ll likely struggle with everyday movements, like walking, completing chores, or performing at work.
Our physiotherapists can help you understand whether your back and leg pain is actually sciatica. We’ll also dig down to the root cause of your sciatica so you can address your pain at its source.
Curious to know more about the process of treating sciatica with physiotherapy? Keep reading–or schedule an appointment at our clinic. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have!
Understanding Sciatica: Symptoms and Common Causes
Although sciatica is primarily marked by pain in the back and legs, it can also cause additional symptoms. The reason for this is that it’s a nerve disorder, meaning you may also experience the following in the affected leg:
- Tingling or numbness
- Burning or shooting sensations
- Weakness in your leg or foot
Some people also report painful muscle spasms in their lower back.
Generally speaking, sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated. To tackle your sciatic pain at its root, however, you’ll need to figure out what caused that irritation in the first place.
The most common source of sciatica by far is a herniated disc, a condition in which the soft, cushioning material between the vertebrae ruptures or bulges. If this disc herniation compresses the sciatic nerve, it will lead to sciatica pain. A herniated disc is generally caused either by injury or degeneration of the vertebral discs.
Spondylolisthesis is another potential source of sciatica, although it’s much less likely than a herniated disc. This condition occurs when a vertebra in the lower spine slips forward, potentially compressing the sciatic nerve.
Some conditions, such as lumbar spinal stenosis, can cause sciatica-like pain. However, in the case of spinal stenosis, you’ll likely experience pain in both legs, not just one. Our physiotherapists can help you know for sure.
Approaches to Treating Sciatica With Physiotherapy
It’s important to try and resolve sciatica at its source rather than merely treating its symptoms. Many people will temporarily recover from sciatica only for the pain to return, often worse than before. By identifying and addressing the underlying cause of your sciatica, you’re more likely to find long-term relief.
For most people, treating sciatica means treating a herniated disc. The good news is that physiotherapy alone is usually enough to manage and resolve the condition. Here’s how our team might approach your treatment:
- Manual Therapy: These different hands-on techniques can help reduce pain and improve mobility, particularly in the early stages. Gentle spinal mobilizations (in which we guide your spine through its current range of motion), soft tissue manipulation, and other techniques will help prepare you for more intense treatments.
- Get Moving: Movement is one of the best ways to address the sciatic pain brought on by a herniated disc. We’ll usually begin with passive mobility exercises, in which the therapist moves your spine for you, before gradually moving onto active exercises and stretches in which you’ll do the movements yourself.
- Build Strength and Endurance: As your sciatic pain recedes, we’ll begin incorporating different therapeutic exercises. Core strengthening is particularly important in addressing spinal impairments, as your core muscles support and stabilize your spine. Restoring muscle endurance is also a crucial part of rehabilitation.
- Return-to-Activity Schedule: When it comes to eliminating sciatica for good, it’s important that you fully rehabilitate before jumping back into regular activities. Our physiotherapists will provide a return-to-activity program to ensure you don’t do too much too soon. We’ll also instruct you on proper biomechanics and lifting techniques to avoid re-injury.
Treating Sciatica with Physiotherapy When A Herniated Disc Isn’t to Blame
If your sciatica isn’t caused by a herniated disc, our team of physiotherapists can still help! When you visit us for the first time, we’ll conduct a comprehensive physical assessment, including a complete health history and several movement screens, to help us get to the root of your pain.
If we find that spondylolisthesis or another condition leading to compression of the sciatic nerve is at the root of your sciatica, we’ll create a customized plan that addresses that particular condition. In most cases, however, treatment will resemble the treatment for a herniated disc: we’ll start with pain management before moving on to a progressive exercise program.
For example, people with spondylolisthesis can often find relief through physiotherapy, including core strengthening exercises, gait and balance training, and aerobic exercise. Our physiotherapist will review all your options with you.
Address Your Sciatica At Stride Sports & Physiotherapy
Living with sciatica can have a profound impact on your quality of life. Fortunately, our team is skilled in treating sciatica with physiotherapy. We’ll help you find the relief you need.
To get started, make an appointment with us today!
